Mondelez Palm Oil Q&A

As we’re sure you’ve seen, there has been a lot of attention online for Cadbury’s use of palm oil. In the wake of this, Mondelez has released the following ingredient Q&A. Here at Hancocks, we’re passing this on to our customers for your awareness and to help you prepare for any questions your customers may ask.

Why do we use palm oil?

We're proud of our Cadbury UK&I recipe, and it being loved by consumers. Palm oil is included in our recipes because it has properties that are ideal for achieving the beloved texture and taste that Cadbury products have offered to UK and Irish consumers for many years.

We have not introduced palm oil as a new ingredient in our products. We have been using vegetable fats, including palm oil, since the 1950s. In order to provide clearer information to our consumers, and in accordance with EU regulations on food labelling, we now specify the vegetable oils that are used in our recipes. The regulation requires that the exact source of the vegetable fat must be specified, and therefore on our ingredients lists you will see the names of the vegetable fats, including palm oil, listed.

Where palm oil does become problematic is where sourcing causes deforestation. Since 2013, Mondelēz International is committed to sourcing palm oil sustainably, we take this responsibility seriously, that’s why 100% of Mondelez sourced palm oil is Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil certified (RSPO).

In addition, Mondelez goes beyond with its own Palm Oil Sustainable Action Plan that works with others across the sector to ensure no exploitation and no deforestation. Read more here: Palm Oil | Mondelēz International, Inc.

Have we replaced milk or cocoa solids with Palm Oil?

We want to assure you that we have not reduced the cocoa solids or milk content in our Cadbury UK&I products or replaced these with palm oil. The milk that we put into Cadbury Dairy Milk is fresh, liquid whole milk sourced right here in the British Isles.

Resources:

Palm Oil | Mondelēz International, Inc.

WWF: 8 things to know about palm oil | WWF

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