Palm Oil...and how to avoid it.

This needs to be shared.

My friends have been asking about palm oil, and it is high time I had a list to hand to give them!

Deforestation in Indonesia is happening on the fastest scale. Even a moratorium is breached because illegal loggers and lax tax loopholes mean that forests can still be cleared for oil palm plantations.

How does this even affect us?

Palm oil is all around us and indirectly, even unintentionally, we are contributing to the deforestation of Indonesia's lush rainforests. 

Over 60% of the world's palm oil is produced in Indonesia.

Palm oil is so hard to trace and it is labeled in such ways that we would never know it is there.

In foods, it is simply labelled as VEGETABLE OIL (植物油)...but this could be any number of oils. It is important to check for the levels of saturated fat - the higher the levels, the more likely it is palm oil.

Then there are the beauty products. Unless you can source your products carefully, expect most drugstore products to contain the following...

(These are ones that I have come across during my daily life at the drugstore  in Japan, hence the translations. For an extensive list, see below.)

At the drugstore- 

(Check shampoos, conditioners, lip balms, face creams, body creams, toothpastes, mouthwashes, laundry detergent, washing up liquid, face masks....)

ラウレス硫酸 - SODIUM LAURETH

ラウリン酸 - 　SLS Sodium Laurel Sulphate

パルミチン酸 - PALMITIC ACID 

ミリスチン酸　－Myristic Acid

ステアリン酸　－ Stearine (Palm Stearine) Stearic Acid

ラウロアンホ酢酸Na －sodium lauroamphoacetate 

 ドデシル硫酸ナトリウム - Sodium Dodecyl Sulphate (SDS or NaDS)

ラウリル硫酸Na - sodium lauryl

ラウレス硫酸ナトリウム - Sodium Laureth Sulfate

ステアリン酸グリセリル - Glyceryl Stearate SC 

ラウロイルサルコシンナトリウム - Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate

And, I am not even going into detail about the health triggers...
The addition of a palm oil derivative indicates a chemical procedure, which means the product is not good for you in any way, despite any claims of its superpowers.....

Do you know the meaning of the colors ?

Green : Natural.

Blue : Natural + Medicine.

Red : Natural + Chemical composition.

Black : Pure Chemical.

BE AWARE OF THE PRODUCTS THAT YOU USE DAILY!

Remember, our ancestors lived without half this nonsense 50 years ago, so why should we 'need' it now?

At the supermarket - 

In foods palm oil is mostly disguised as Vegetable Oil. You need to check for saturated levels ...the more saturated fat, the more likely palm oil. Opt for saturated free fat. 

Watch out for out school favourites too...See hydrogenated vegetable oil on the label? PALM OIL. 
Like PEANUT BUTTER & NUTELLA. 

Like palm oil.

Like instant noodles? Like chocolates? Like crisps or potato chips, whatever you call them?...Like palm oil.

Anything that can last a long time on the shelf....it has palm oil...

Always read the labels too. 
This blog entry was of particular interest - turns out a joint of beef is not just that...:- 
http://freeofpalmoil.blogspot.jp/2010/05/beef-joints-for-vegetarians.html 

SHAME ON YOU SAINSBURY'S, UK

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How do you know what to avoid when you go shopping??? 

The tip - KEEP IT NATURAL. Source your products. That's all.

(Be warned - it can be found in gasoline too...)

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You can download a copy of chemicals to avoid  HERE and it fits right in your wallet! -

http://www.animal.org.au/palmoilindisguise.htm has this concise list in alphabetical order.

Here is the list for 'easy' reference.

Acetic and fatty acid esters of glycerol (472a/E472a)
Aluminium Stearate
Aluminium, calcium, sodium, magnesium salts of fatty acids (470/E470a; E470b)

Sodium Laureth Sulfate &
Cetearyl Alcohol &
Cetyl Alcohol & Glycerin &
Cetyl Acetate
(Face wash)

Ammonium laureth sulphate
Ammonium lauryl sulphate
Arachamide mea
Ascorbyl palmitate
Ascobyl palmitate (304)
Azelaic acid
Butyl stearate
Calcium lactylate 
Calcium oleyl lactylate (482/E482)
Calcium Stearate
Calcium Stearoyl lactylate (482/E482)
Capric triglyceride
Caprylic acid
Caprylic triglyceride
Caprylic/capric triglyceride
Caprylic/capric /stearic triglyceride
Caprylol glycine

Cetyl Alcohol & Glyceryl Stearate &
Glycerin & Propylene Glycol
('Herbal' shampoo)

Caprylyl glycol
Cetrimonium chloride
Ceteareth (2-100)
Cetearyl alcohol
Cetearyl ethylhexanote
Cetearyl glucoside
Cetearyl olivate
Ceteth - 20
Ceteth - 24
Cetyl acetate
Cetyl alcohol
Cetyl ethylhexanoate
Ctyl hydroxyethycellulose
Cetyl lactate
Cetyl octanoate
Cetyl palmitate
Cetyl ricinoleate
Citric and fatty acid esters of glycerol (472c/E472c)
Cocoa butter equivalent (CBE)
Cocoa butter substitue (CBS)
Decyl oleate
Diacetyltartaric and fatty acid esters of glycerol (472/E472e)
Dilinoleic acid
Disodium laureth sulfosuccinate
Disodium lauryl sulfosuccinate
Distilled Monoglyceride Pal
Elaeis guieensis oil
Emulsifier 422, 430-36, 470-8, 481-483, 493-495
Epoxidized palm oil (uv cured coatings)
Ethyl lauroyl arginate (243) 
Ethylene glycol monostearate
Ethylhexyl hydroxystearate
Ethylhexyl palmitate
Ethylhexylglycerin
Fatty alcohol sulphates

Glycerin (Found in soaps)

Glycerin
Glycerin or glycerol (422)
Glyceryl distearate
Glyceryl laurate
Glyceryl monostearate
Glyceryl myristate
Glyceryl oleate
Glyceryl polymethacrylate
Glyceryl stearate
Glyceryl stearate SE
Glycol distearate
Glycol stearate
Guineesis (palm)
Hexadecylic
Hexyl laurate
Hexyldecanol
Hydrogenated palm glycerides
Isopropyl isosterate
Isopropyl palmitate
Isopropyl titanium triisostearate
Isostearamide DEA
Isosterate DEA
Isotearic acid
Isostearyl alcohol
Lactic and fatty acid esters of glycerol (472b/E472b)
Lauramide DEA
Lauramide MEA
Lauramine oxide
Laureth
Lauric acid
Lauroyl sarcosine
Lauryl betaine
Lauryl lactate
Lauryl glucoside (from palm)
Lauryl pyrrolidone
Linoleic acid
Magneium myristate
Magnesium stearate
Mixed tartaric, acetic and fatty acid esters of glycerol (472/E472f)
Mono- and di- glycerides of fatty acids (471/E471)
Myristate
Myristic acid
Myristic Cetrimoium Chloride Acid
Myristoyl
Myristyl myristate
Octyl palmitate
Octyl stearate
Octyldodecyl myristate
Octyldodecyl stearoyl stearate
Oleamide MIPA
Oleic acid
Oleyl betaine
Olivem 1000
Palm fruit oil
Palm oil
Palm olein
Palm stearine
Palmate
Palmitate
Palmitic acid
Palmitamidopropyltrimonium chloride
Palmitoyl myristyl serinate
Palmitoyl oxostearamide
Palmitoyl oligopeptide
Paltetrapeptide - 3
PEG-100 stearate
PEG-15 stearyl ether
PEG-150 distearate

PEG-2 oleamine
PEG-20 stearate
PEG-4 lauratete sodium stearoyl lactylate (481/E481) Sodium laurate
PEG-40 stearate
PEG-8 distearate
PEG-8 stearate
PEG-80 sorbitan laurate
Pentaeythrityl tetraisostearate
Peptide complex
Polyethylene (40) stearate (431)
Polyglycerol esters of fatty acids (475/E475)
Polyglycerol-2 oleyl ether 
Polyglyceryl-3 dilisostearate
Polyglyceryl-4 isostearate
Polyglyceryl-4 oleyl ether
Polysorbate 60 or polyoxyethylene (20 sorbitan monostearate (435/E435)
Polysorbate 60 or polyoxyethylene (20 sorbitan tristearate (436/E436)
Polysorbate 60 or polyoxyethylene (20 sorbitan monoolate (433/E433)
Polysorbate -20
Polysorbate -40
Polysorbate -80

Polysorbate -85
Potassium stearate
PPG-15 stearate ether
Polysorbate-85
Potassium stearate
PPG-15 stearate ether
Propylene glycol esters of fatty acids (477/E477)
Propylene glycol laurate 

Retinyl palmitate &
Proppylene glycol (Boots, UK product)

Propylene glycol stearate
Retynyl Palmitate 
Saponified elaeis guineensis
Sleareth
SLES
SLS
Sodium cetearyl sulphate
Sodium Dodecyl Sulphate (SDS or NaDS)
Sodium Isostearoyl Lactylaye
Sodium oleyl lactylalfate
Sodium laureth sulphate
Sodium  laureth-13 carboxylate
Sodium lauryl lactylate
Sodium lauryl
Sodium lauryl ether suphate
Sodium lauryl sulfate
Sodium lauryl sulfoacetate
Sodium lauryl suphate
Sodium palm kernelate
Sodium palmate
Sodium palmitate
Sodium  stearate
Sodium stearoyl lactylate
Sorbitan isostearate
Sorbitan laurate
Sorbitan  monostearate (491)
Sorbitan  palmitate
Sorbitan  sesquioleate
Sorbitan trioleate
Sorbitan  tristearate

Sorbitan  tristearate (491)
Sorbitan palmitate
Sorbitan sesquioleate
Sorbitan  trioleate
Sorbitan  tristearate
Sorbitan  tristearate (492)
Stearalkonium chloride 

Glycerin & Steareth-2 & Steareth-20
(Deodorant)

Stearalkonium  hecttorite
Stearmide MEWA
Stearamideopropyl dimethylamine
Steareth-10
Steareth-2
Steareth-20
Steareth-21
Steari acid(vegetable oil)
Stearic acid or fatty acid (570)
Stearoyl sarcosine
Stearyl alcohol
Stearyl dimethicone
Stearyl heptanoate
Sucrose stearate
Sucroseesters of fatty acids (473/E473)
Taxanomic
TEA-lauryl sulphate
TEA-stearate
Tocopheryl linoleate
Triacetin
Triacetin (1518)
Tribehenin
Tricapryllin
Tristearine
Vegetable glycerin
Vegetable oil
Vegetable Mono Diglycerides
Zinc stearate

Looking for products without palm oil often feels like this -
((Rocking up at the cash register with nothing in the basket!)) But, it really is NOT that bad.

Even the smallest cut back or action on your part will make the difference - this article mentions Kellog's but imagine if we cut back on one product from more than just one big conglomerate....

"If just 1% of Kellogg's consumers were to stop buying its products, company sales could fall by US$200 million, making sustainable palm oil a comparatively cheaper option for the company."

Sustainable palm oil shift is cheaper than bad publicity impact

PALM OIL FREE OPTIONS

There are many ways to live without palm oil.

Personally, I have eliminated a lot of pure nonsense from our cupboards and taken it back 50 years...Check out my blog post for how to clean like 1959..!

We haven't been to a drugstore for years, and it feels great!

There is a lot of fun in MAKING your own body scrubs, face scrubs, air fresheners etc...ENJOY!!

Helpful blogs and information for you - 

*** http://www.palmoilinvestigations.org/products-australia

*** http://www.animal.org.au/palmoilindisguise.htm

***http://www.saynotopalmoil.com/

BLOGS

***http://nopalmoil.wordpress.com/

***http://freeofpalmoil.blogspot.jp/

***http://vivresanshuiledepalme.blogspot.jp/

GREAT NEW PROGRAME TO WATCH

(Harrison Ford visits Indonesia to learn about the levels of deforestation)

***https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brvhCnYvxQQ#t=323

There are many organisations out there doing great work to help this cause, but they cannot do it without the great support from its followers. Want to help?

http://kalaweit.org is an organisation I am involved with directly and have seen first hand their amazing efforts and struggles as they work to save not just the animals but the land in which they need to survive.

http://ran.org/ is another global network and ....

May 20th will be a GLOBAL DAY of actions run by RAN (Rainforest Action Network. you can join HERE! Please do! #inyourpalm

And, again, here is the leaflet for your wallet - download a copy HERE!!

May Day

When the door opened to the JEARS apartment, I was greeted by so many faces, it was hard to keep track! There must have been about 9 people there at that time, plus Omori San, who lives upstairs.

It was a crazy encounter; I dumped my bags, got some donations from Yumi, and quickly got changed into some trousers. I packed my rain boots, my waterproofs and was good to go.

Today, I was going with Yumi's gang. I wanted to help them a little, like they helped me and also, Shichigahama is an area I am fond of as we used to go there often for so many beach BBQs.

Shichigahama still doesn't have water, local shops have limited supplies and you cannot even pee in a local convenience store, now that is saying something as usually, a convenience store sorts you out for everything.

So, why are we here? The whole of Tohoku has suffered from the events of March 11th, and so many people have suffered in so many ways. We see on the news endless tales of destruction and loss and it is to these areas only where the majority of money, food and volunteers go.

Shichigahama is a set of bays and the shape of these bays meant that some of the destruction was lessened. Small islands out to sea or inlets held of the tsunami just a little and this meant that the damage was not as severe as in some other coastal towns.

So, in Shichigahama, there are still many houses missing, flattened or ruined by the wave, but there are still many standing. And, it is for this reason the people are put aside by the Japanese Government. I suppose the logic is that they have a house, so they are OK.

This is far from true. Water is still limited if any at all, food supplies are lacking as shops cannot get deliveries still. Those with cars can access shops further away, but they must still be careful, as gas is limited too.

Yumi had heard the story of people in Shichigahama and knew she had to do something to help.

First stop was Fumiko's house.

Fumiko used to live down below by the water a long time ago. She sold her house and moved uphill. Of her former house, all that remains is the second floor. The house itself, or what is left, has been thrown over towards other buildings. Fumiko must be feeling glad for her decision to move, but, rather than dwell upon selfish mullings, she, has taken to helping all her local neighbours. She is a very jovial lady, full of energy, spirit and a lot of laughter!

We started to set down the donations (yumi had to takkyubin some of the boxes of clothes up as there simply was not enough room in the van!).

Meanwhile, Fumiko San was the first ( of many! ) to get her hair cut.

The donations were sorted out both inside and outside the house. The van was also reloaded for a wee journey down below. Some neighbours came and collected some goodies.

We drove down to the coast and saw Fumiko's old house, along with more destruction.

The harbour had bad damage and one area

was being used as a central

dumping ground for garbage. Amongst the wood and the dirt, there was a small children's toy, a stark reminder of who may be among the victims.

Along the coast, some houses were fine, some houses missing, and some marked with signs that read, 'limited entry' or 'unsafe'.

You would not expect people to be living in such buildings, but they were, somehow, and getting on with it as best they could.

Donations were accepted graciously although in a fiercely proud nation, it can be hard to offer things, even at times like this.

We even delivered to a small gas station that was open, but surrounded by destruction.

Impressive, but sad, but life goes on and the clean up must continue.

Back at the house, we sorted through more donations and reloaded the van.

Haircuts were still going on in full swing, mostly obachans, older ladies whose mobility is limited. Everyone was grateful for the support and had a little chat with us. We even got an invite for coffee at a neighbour's house, but we had to keep going.

Next stop was Yougai, down by another bay. The fishing bay had a couple of boats overturned and on top of each other.

We went right to the end of the bay to a house at the end. From the drive, you can see the beginning of Matsushima Bay,

a bay famed for it's beautiful islands and ranked one of the top three sits in Japan. Apparently, the islands broke the tsunami wave a little and were not destroyed at all. Yokatta!

I could see the tourist boats going to and from the islands, business as usual, it seems. it is Golden Week after all.

We delivered more food donations and divided them up so each neighbour could receive a bag. I walked with Rena to one house nearby. She was an old lady, very cute. Her house was not in good shape and had the 'limited entry' sticker on it. She showed us a massive crack in the driveway as she laid down her bags by her kotatsu.

I suddenly felt very empty inside. How could this lady be alone? And living in a house that was not safe? She smiled and invited us for coffee, but we had to get back to help at the main house.

We loaded the van with garbage to take to the tip. The tip was a big open space with a massive collection of frisbee, televisions, computers, not to mention rubble, all collected since March 11. There was a bad smell too.

Over by the fridges, there was a collection of toys with the Japanese flag blowing in the wind next to them. Yet another horrid reminder of the young and helpless victims.

We made a couple of trips here, offloading many things that had been damaged in the outhouse, television, shelving unit, many toys, electrical goods etc.

The hut itself had been thrown to another area of the garden completely. It was now back where it belonged but it was still wet inside. Tomorrow's was to clean and dry out everything in the outhouse and the shed.

At the end of the day, we were welcomed into Fumiko's house for snacks and juice. We all chatted and shared stories. One lady had family in Ishinomaki and her father was living in a shelter there. He wants to kill himself because life is so slow to progress. He has nothing and just lives day by day in the centre with nothing to do. She, is plagued with worry, especially as he won't leave the area as it is hometown.

Yumi gave out some remedies for the ladies of the neighbourhood (she is a herbalist by trade) and hopefully, they will feel less stress very soon.

I was also introduced to a lady whose dog had been very sick since the earthquake. She has a pomeranian and he is hardly eating and also vomiting. All the vets in the area that she knows have had their clinics destroyed or lost in the tsunami. I had to act now to help her.I promised I could return either the next day or the one after with a solution, a vet or some meds, something, anything to help.

A few calls later and I knew who to contact. I would mail the vet later, a Sasaki Sensei who has been helping immensely since the disasters. We would get this dog better quickly!

We quickly popped into the neighbour for coffee, where her hospitality was just wonderful. One coffee and two green teas later (it would have been rude to refuse) along with a chocolate bar ( the generosity is astounding - remember, we are there to give them food!), my gamman and stretch was slowly fading. I would need the toilet very soon! We were all the same.

It had been almost eight hours of running around and work and not going to the loo. We had a portable toilet, kind or and if we really wanted to we could have used this...!!!

We drove off, leaving Maria still cutting hair, ( I think she helped almost thirty people by the end of the day!!). I had to get back to my base to see what was happening.

We eventually found a conbeeny with a toilet (!)

and treated ourselves to a post-pee coffee!

Much needed and well deserved!!

Back at the JEARS house, the teams were still out. One was in Iwate collecting cats and dogs at the city hall.

The others were in Fukushima.

I was alone for a while, so Fumiko (it's her mother's apartment we renting) popped over. Omori San upstairs had made curry for the volunteers, but they hadn't returned, so I could get double helpings!

I sent mails to the vet and spoke with Fumiko about an Aigo centre nearby. Usually an Aigo centre is a friendly place for the animals. It is the hokenjos where the animals have one week to live if no one collects them, sometimes these animals come form the aigo centre, so we though we would make a plan to go there's tomorrow morning. I also wanted to sort out the sick dog, so I had a plan, i just didn't have transport.

Thank goodness for friends and good people! Fumiko was coming to get me at 9am, from there, the rest would fall into place, I was sure of it.

Yumi has a page on facebook - Follow her and her team's work here -

https://www.facebook.com/pages/DIRECT-HELP-for-victims-and-animals-REJECTED-from-shelters-in-JAPAN/185436641502603

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:Shichigahama & Sendai, Miyagi