ABSTRACT
The oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.), a member of the palm subfamily Cocoideae, is an important tropical plantation crop. In 1980, palm oil constituted 14% of international trade in vegetable oils. A brief review of the crop is given by Corley, 1 while Hartley 2 gives a comprehensive treatment. The major commercial products are palm oil, obtained from the mesocarp of the fruit wall, and palm kernel oil from the endosperm. These two oils differ in fatty acid composition and have different end uses.
