20
The Health | june-july, 2020
| Interview |
Global
recognition
The MPOB continues research efforts
further to enhance palm oil’s use and
image internationally
BY CAMILIA REZALI
The Malaysian Palm Oil Board
(MPOB) has been relentlessly
researching on not only the
benefits of palm oil but also
to expand its use to make
new products such as cheese,
santan and vitamins. It has also
commercialised many of its
research findings. It has further enhanced
the image of vegetable oil internationally.
Its offices around the world have been
working hard to collaborate with business,
universities and even NGOs. It has led
to producers replacing the oil used in
their products with palm oil. MPOB is
headquartered in Bandar Baru Bangi in
Selangor and operates in six regional offices
in Washington D.C, Brussels, Shanghai,
Cairo, Karachi and Tehran. Soon another
office will be re-established in India
But despite its success, MPOB is not
resting on its laurels as there are still many
negative issues to address.
“There is a need for a lot more
awareness. There is a lot of negatives
intrude,” said its Director-General Dr
Ahmad Parveez Ghulam Kadir, who has
more than 30 years of experience in the oil
palm industry.
His expertise includes in the field
of plant molecular biology, genetic
engineering and biosafety. Parveez has
developed transgenic oil palm and has
gained recognition both locally and
internationally and filed 16 patents,
As a
government
body, we also
have a lot
of linkages
with foreign
governments.
Collaborations,
consultations
and dialogues
with
government
agencies
in foreign
countries are
essential to
help provide
the first-hand
information
on palm oil
goodness
as well as
benefits.”
authored and co-authored more than 85
papers published in refereed journals and
more than 250 conference papers. He is a
member of the National Biosafety Board
(2018-2021) and been the President of
International Society for Oil Palm Breeders
(ISOPB) since 2017.
Parveez spoke to the Health on the
benefits and potentials of the Malaysian
palm oil industry and why technology is
essential in adding value to a product like
palm oil.
What would be the best strategy for
MPOB to gain global awareness on palm
oil benefits? Are you working on any new
programmes?
A lot more awareness needs to be done.
The situation is there is a lot of negative
intrude. MPOB has offices in Washington
D.C, Brussels, Shanghai, Karachi, Cairo
and Tehran. They will be there to address
the issues in those regions, and of course,
it will link with our headquarters on
providing the right information and to
resolve the technical problems. We
even have collaborative projects with
organisations and universities. For
example, in Shanghai, while they are
monitoring and managing palm oil
situation in Japan and Korea, they
also collaborate with universities
as well as certain companies in
China to further expand the
usage and demand of
palm oil.
Similarly, in
the European
Union (EU), we
are working
with NGOs
such as
IDH,
The Sustainable Trade Initiative and
Solidaridad, both based in the Netherlands.
Recently, we signed agreements with these
two NGOs. We are working a lot with them
to certify our smallholders. We hope by
doing this, we help our smallholders to
produce palm oil more sustainably as well
as in a more “climate-smart” manner.
As a government body, we also have a
lot of linkages with foreign governments.
Collaborations, consultations and
dialogues with government agencies in
foreign countries are essential to help
provide the first-hand information on
palm oil goodness as well as benefits. Issues
related to palm oil also could be resolved
through this cooperation. There are also
many issues which are dependent on
governmental agencies such as MPOB to
help overcome it.
Red palm oil is refined palm oil, and it
is different from crude palm oil (CPO). Red
palm oil uses a different technique where
it is processed using lower temperature
producing oil high in carotene (that gives
it a red colour) and also the
Vitamin E, Tocotrienol.
When China starts
endorsing red palm oil, we
can export lots more into
the China market. That
would be very good for
two reasons; we can begin
selling our red palm oil
which is rich in Vitamin
A and Vitamin E, and
at the same time,
China will
have the