Does palm oil really rule the supermarket? An assessment of three Western supermarket chains

Abstract The claim that 50% of supermarket products contain palm oil is widely cited and repeated to underscore the relevance of activist campaigns and sustainability efforts in the oil palm sector. Yet evidence supporting this claim has never been publicly available. We investigated the accuracy of this claim at three large supermarket chains across three countries, where adequate online product and ingredient data were available. We compiled and analysed ingredient lists from approximately 1600 food products from three supermarkets in the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Australia to evaluate the prevalence of palm and palm kernel oil, as well as other major vegetable oil crops. Across these supermarkets, palm and/or palm kernel oil were explicitly listed in 7.9% (95% CI [6.9%, 9.0%]) of products, whereas maize (19% [18%, 21%]), rapeseed (15% [13%, 16%]), and soya (14% [13%, 16%]) were more prevalent. Up to 40% (95% CI [37%, 43%]) of products at these supermarkets may contain palm oil through unspecified vegetable oils or oleochemicals, which were found in about 18% of all sampled products. This underscores a broader challenge: modern processed foods are part of complex global supply chains that rely on interchangeable commodities such as palm oil. While traceability mechanisms like those promoted by the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) aim to enhance upstream accountability, consumer-facing labelling transparency remains inadequate. We emphasize the need for clearer food labelling and broader systems-level impact assessments if consumers are to make fully informed choices to align with their values and goals.