Palm Oil's Function in Food and Role in Nutrition Discussed at YABİTED 2026

At the 6th Oil Science and Technology Congress, the functional properties of palm oil in the food industry, its role in nutrition and its production processes were evaluated from a scientific perspective. Experts emphasized that fatty acid composition, processing conditions, areas of use and overall dietary patterns must be considered together when examining the possible health effects of palm oil.

The 6th Oil Science and Technology Congress (YABİTED 2026), one of Türkiye's important scientific gatherings in the field of oil science and technology, was held in İstanbul from November 5-7 under the theme "Towards a Safer Fats & Oils Future."

At the congress, organized by the Oil Science and Technology Association (YABİTED), academics, researchers, food industry professionals and representatives of public institutions evaluated developments in the fields of edible oils, food safety, production technologies, nutrition and sustainability. Scientific knowledge sharing and interdisciplinary collaboration stood out among the prominent topics within the scope of the oil sector's quality, safety and sustainability goals.

The congress also served as a platform enabling scientific knowledge sharing and communication with sector stakeholders for institutions and industry representatives working in the field of palm oil. Palm oil was addressed within a broad framework, ranging from its functional properties in the food industry to its relationship with nutrition and health, and from refining processes to food safety and sustainable production.

In the evaluations, emphasis was placed on examining palm oil in light of scientific data, ensuring quality and safety in production processes, and developing sustainable practices. Experts stressed that in order for the properties and areas of use of palm oil to be correctly understood, its fatty acid composition, role in nutrition and production processes must be evaluated as a whole.

The technical requirements of the product determine the choice of oil in foods

Food Engineer Dr. Fahri Yemişçioğlu stated in his presentation at the congress that the functions of oils in foods go beyond nutritional value. Noting that oils also affect product characteristics such as taste, texture, color, melting behavior, mouthfeel and shelf life, Yemişçioğlu said that oils used in different food categories must have physical and chemical properties suited to the technical requirements of the products.

Pointing out that oils take on various functions in different categories such as snacks, bakery products, confectionery and dairy products, Yemişçioğlu noted that some seed oils can be subjected to partial hydrogenation in order to gain certain functional properties, but that this process can lead to the formation of trans fatty acids.

Stating that palm oil, palm kernel oil and their derivatives offer solutions for the food industry's different technical needs thanks to their broad functional properties, Yemişçioğlu emphasized that discussions regarding the health and sustainability of palm oil should be conducted on the basis of scientific data.

Palm oil's relationship with health should be assessed holistically

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ceren Türkcan, Faculty Member of the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics at İstanbul Sağlık ve Teknoloji Üniversitesi, evaluated palm oil's relationship with nutrition and health in her presentation within the framework of fatty acid composition, fractionation, metabolism, processing processes, bioactive nutrients and overall dietary patterns.

Noting that there are significant differences between the physical properties of fats in foods and their physiological behavior in the body, Türkcan stated that the evaluation of palm oil should not focus solely on its saturated fat content or physical appearance.

Türkcan made the following statement regarding the issue:

"The fact that a dietary fat is semi-solid at room temperature does not mean that it remains solid in the human body. Dietary lipids undergo emulsification, enzymatic digestion, intestinal absorption, transport and extensive metabolic processes. For this reason, the possible health effects of palm oil should not be evaluated based solely on its physical appearance; they should be assessed in the context of its overall fatty acid composition, the food or type of fat it replaces in consumption, consumption habits and the total dietary pattern."