Supermarket survey finds palm oil high in a quarter of margarines

A quarter of margarines have palm oil as the first or second ingredient, an analysis of supermarket brands has revealed.

The results compare to just one out of 37 butters containing palm oil as a primary ingredient. Further, more than half of all butters analysed had at most two simple ingredients: milk and salt or milk and water.

So which choice of spread is actually better for our health?

Somewhat surprisingly, Nutrition Plus dietitian* Melanie McGrice said that said while both butter and margarine could be part of a healthy, balanced diet, margarine was often the heart-healthy choice.

“Butters are typically made with milk, whereas margarines are primarily plant-based and made from oils,” she said. “Margarines are generally healthier but it depends on the oils that it’s made from.”

Palm oil was the one to avoid, because it could increase levels of bad cholesterol*.

Given 25 per cent of analysed margarine brands contain palm oil, Ms McGrice’s biggest tip was to avoid palm oils in both margarine and butter brands.

“It’s much higher in saturated fats, which are particularly unhealthy for the body and raise bad cholesterol levels and inflammation*,” Ms McGrice said.

While cholesterol-lowering margarines typically had more ingredients, she said that was not always a bad thing.

Phytosterol esters* – which are also known as plant sterols* – naturally occur in fruits and vegies and help block the absorption of bad fats, she said.

Manufacturers include them to stop the full impacts of saturated fats – but the addition is not good for kids, because the process also blocks fat-soluble vitamins like D and E.

“They’re the best choice for someone with high cholesterol levels, but not for everyone,” Ms McGrice said.

And while some brands might look, sound and read like butter, they may actually be margarines.

Ms McGrice said that because margarine was seen as a less natural option, marketers used butter-like terms on the label to entice* consumers.

“A lot of margarines will have terms like ‘buttery spread’ or ‘buttery,’” she said.

If you’re wondering how margarine could still be considered heart-healthier than butter, the answer is that butter is very high in saturated fat and its salt content is a problem too. In butter’s favour is its very basic ingredient list – there is much more variation in margarine.

With that in mind, Ms McGrice’s top and bottom margarine picks are ranked below.

Still, a virgin olive oil beats butter and margarine. Containing just olives, virgin olive oil is natural and delivers healthy fats and loads of antioxidants. Next time you see the adults dipping their bread in little dishes of pure olive oil, ask if you can give it a try.

DIETITIAN’S TOP PICKS

#1 Nuttelex Light Buttery Spread

Cost: $0.80 per 100g.

With just 10g of saturated fats and 340mg of sodium, it’s a healthier alternative to most butters, Ms McGrice said.

While it had ambiguous* “vegetable oils” listed, Ms McGrice felt they were unlikely to include palm oil, given the saturated fats were so low.

Water was listed first, indicating it was the main ingredient, followed by vegetable oils and salt.

Ms McGrice said while this brand included lecithin, which may be problematic for those with a soy allergy, it was overall one of the healthiest margarine choices.

#2 Rama Original Spread

Cost: $0.45 per 100g.

This actually ranks sixth for saturated fats but Ms McGrice ranked it second overall because it is lower in sodium*.

With canola oil the first ingredient, it is a typical margarine and one of the heart healthier alternatives.

It is slightly under the 400mg sodium mark and a lower cholesterol risk option, with about 1g of saturated fat per teaspoon.

It also has added emulsifiers* but added Vitamins A and D too.

At $0.45 per 100g, it is the cheapest of all the healthy picks.

#3 Miracle Dairy Free Spread

Cost: $0.64 per 100g.

Ms McGrice said this was a better choice because it had lower saturated fats.

Made with 43 per cent vegetable oil, of which canola is listed, there is only 11.6g of saturated fats per 100g or 1.2g per teaspoon.

It also has acceptable salt levels at 350mg per 100g.

#4 Flora Margarine Spread Light

Cost: $1.05 per 100g.

Sunflower and canola oil are listed second – followed by water – so it is lower in saturated fats, compared to the palm oil options.

Ms McGrice said canola was rich in good fats, which reduced the impact of bad cholesterol.

However, if you are after a cleaner ingredients list, it’s important to note this has an added thickener, two added emulsifiers, a preservative and food acid.

DIETITIAN’S BOTTOM PICKS

#1 Coles Cholesterol Lowering Spread

Cost: $1.04 per 100g.

While listed as a cholesterol lowering spread, consumers should look beyond the plant sterol claim because this option has more unhealthy ingredients.

With 64.5g per 100g, it had the highest saturated fat content of all analysed butters and margarines.

Ms McGrice said plant sterols helped reduce bad cholesterol but did not counteract the impacts of other ingredients.

“They don’t completely counteract the potential impact of a diet high in saturated fat,” Ms McGrice said.

“For heart health, it’s important to consider the whole product, not just a single beneficial ingredient.”

A spokeswoman for Coles said they provided customers with a variety of products, each with “clear nutritional information to support informed choices.”

“We know customers look for different things when choosing butter and spread products, including taste, cooking performance, ingredient preferences and nutritional considerations,” she said.

“That’s why we offer a broad range of options across our Own Brand and branded ranges, so customers can choose the product that best suits their needs and lifestyle.”

She said they regularly reviewed their Own Brand range in response to feedback, nutrition considerations and customer preferences.

#2 Beautifully Butterfully Caterers Buttery Spread

Cost: $0.46 per 100g.

A fully hydrogenated* palm oil is listed first, making it a highly processed option, Ms McGrice warned.

She said it could be hard to decipher* how much of an ingredient was in a final product but because ingredients are listed by weight, there is going to be lots of fully hydrogenated palm oil.

A spokesman for ALDI said they provided quality products at affordable prices for customers.

#3 Sunnyvale Cholesterol Lowering Original

Cost: $0.88 per 100g.

Another cholesterol lowering option was not a top pick because of the oils used.

Ms McGrice said that while it again had a phytosterol ester, it would not override the impacts of palm oil.

The only benefit to this one was that it was not hydrogenated – which makes it less processed.

A spokesman for ALDI said they provided the ingredients lists and nutritional details on products to help customers make informed decisions.

POLL

GLOSSARY

• dietitian: someone who scientifically studies and gives advice about food and eating
• saturated fat: a fat, especially an animal fat, containing a high proportion of fatty acids having single bonds, found in foods high in cholesterol
• cholesterol: a substance containing a lot of fat that is found in the body tissue and blood of all animals, thought to be part of the cause of heart disease if there is too much
• phytosterol esters/plant sterols: minerals substance that occur naturally at low levels in fruits and vegetables that lower cholesterol
• antioxidants: substances such as vitamin E, vitamin C and betacarotene that are thought to protect body cells from the damaging effects of oxidation
• entice: atttract, persuade, lure by making something more appealing
• ambiguous: unclear or confusing because it can be understood in more than one way
• sodium: a silvery-white chemical element, such as salt, which combines with other chemicals
• inflammation: painful redness or swelling of a part of your body that results from an infection, injury, or illness
• hydrogenated: hydrogenerated fats in foods have had hydrogen added to them, producing a saturated or trans fat, which increase the risk of heart disease
• decipher: to discover or figure out the meaning of something that is hard to understand

EXTRA READING

Nuts are tops but are butters bad?

What makes a healthy milk drink?

How healthy is supermarket juice?

QUICK QUIZ

1. Which is the best performing margarine of those ranked by the dietitian?
2. Butter has very few ingredients – why doesn’t it score higher than margarine for health?
3. What is the particular oil type that should be avoided in both butters and margarines?
4. What percentage of analysed margarines contain this oil type and how many margarines were surveyed?
5. Why is virgin olive oil a good alternative to both spreads?

LISTEN TO THIS STORY

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Cost vs. health benefit
After reading all the information from this Kids News article, do you think healthier margarine choices cost more?

To answer this question comprehensively, you need to compare the cost of each margarine per 100g as stated in the article.

If a family goes through one 500g tub of margarine a week, what is their cost for the year?

Which margarine do you think provides the best value for its health benefits after looking at your cost analysis above?

Time: allow 20 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Mathematics, Science, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking

2. Extension
Do a class survey of your classmates, asking which spread they would prefer on toast?

• Butter
• Margarine
• Olive Oil
• Avocado
• None

Present your tally in a bar graph representing the answers.

Time: allow 20 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: Mathematics, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking

VCOP ACTIVITY
To sum it up
After reading the article, use your comprehension skills to summarise in a maximum of three sentences what the article is about.

Think about:

• What is the main topic or idea?
• What is an important or interesting fact?
• Who was involved (people or places)?

Use your VCOP skills to re-read your summary to make sure it is clear, specific and well punctuated.