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Palm oil is used in a lot of food and everyday things. It is also in beauty products and biofuel. However, making palm oil damages the environment because of deforestation. Researchers in Scotland believe they have found an alternative to palm oil. The scientists have created a plant-based oil that is better for nature and for our health. Their new PALM-ALT product is 70 per cent better for the environment. This is because it is more sustainable and leads to less biodiversity loss. It is also healthier. It has 80 per cent less saturated fat and 30 per cent fewer calories than palm oil.
PALM-ALT could change how things are made. Around half of all the food and cosmetics we buy contain palm oil. Trees in tropical countries have to be cut down to make palm oil. However, PALM-ALT is made from the linseed flower and rapeseed oil. A researcher spoke to the BBC about PALM-ALT. She called it the "holy grail". She said: "We've put it through some special…testing to see if [people] can tell the difference between our product and traditional palm [oil], and they can't." She is hoping businesses will start using PALM-ALT instead of regular palm oil.
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