Darrell Lea goes palm oil free: Iconic chocolate label removes controversial ingredient from 100 popular products and replaces it with sunflower oil
- Darrell Lea products are now 100 per cent free from disputed ingredient palm oil
- The Australian confectionery company cited the change in its latest advert
- It reviewed more than 200 ingredients and changed the recipe 100 products
- The confectionery king is officially palm oil free after pressure from activists
- Contentious because of industry's impact on natural habitats via deforestation
Darrell Lea products are now 100 per cent free from controversial ingredient palm oil.
The Australian confectionery giant confirmed it had changed the recipe for more than 100 products by replacing palm oil with sunflower oil.
Darrell Lea marketing director Tim Stanford stressed the change wouldn't affect the 'taste, look or feel' of the confectioner's iconic chocolate and licorice products.
Palm oil free! Australian confectionery company Darrell Lea has changed the recipe for more than 100 iconic products to remove one controversial ingredient
'When we say Darrell Lea ‘Makes It Better’ we really mean it and we are so proud of this accomplishment,' the company wrote on Wednesday.
'Like our consumers, we recognise that the ethical sourcing of ingredients is paramount. After all, what good are delicious products if it comes at a cost to someone else?
'From the team at Darrell Lea, thank you again for your ongoing support so we can continue to make it better, for everyone.'
Darrell Lea said they had chosen sunflower oil after reviewing over 200 different ingredients as they felt it was 'the best substitute from an environmental and product quality perspective.'
Palm oil is found in about 50 per cent of all products but most would not know as companies usually disguise it as 'vegetable oil' or 'vegetable fat'.
It has taken Darrell Lea about two years and the discontinuation of some products to make the transition possible.
Darrell Lee has replaced ingredient in its products (pictured) with sunflower oil as 'having reviewed over 200 different ingredients, we felt sunflower oil was the best substitute from an environmental and product quality perspective'
Darrell Lea revealed the recipe change with a new advert which showed an orangutan playing drums in the heart of a rainforest - where palm oil is produced
'To make way for palm oil plantations, rainforests in Southeast Asia are being cleared at a rate equal to 300 football fields every hour to keep up with demand,' Darrell Lea wrote on its website.
'With this relentless destruction comes the loss of irreplaceable habitat, wildlife endangerment and enormous CO2 emissions.
'Unlike oils such as coconut, sunflower oil doesn’t require a tropical environment in which to grow, therefore isn’t linked to rainforest deforestation.'
Darrell Lea added it was in the process of replacing its packaging to reflect the transition and aimed to have all packaging updated by March 2021.
Environmentalists nationwide have campaigned for the change for years because of the industry's impact on natural habitats via deforestation.
Environmentalists nationwide have campaigned for the change for years because of the industry's impact on natural habitats via deforestation. Pictured: An orangutan and her baby in an environment being destroyed by palm oil industries
'In recent years, our customers have told us that they don't want palm oil in our products,' Darrell Lea's marketing director Tim Stanford said.
'There is no doubt that palm oil production causes major devastation to rainforests and endangered animals, such as the orangutan.'
Mr Stanford said he hoped other companies will follow suit, reported Ladbible.
'We call on all businesses, not only in the confectionery industry, but across the board to look into their supply chain and make better decisions about the ingredients they use,' Mr Stanford said.
The chocolate company announced it is becoming palm oil free as part efforts to promote sustainability through its manufacturing process
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Zoos Victoria is also spearheading a campaign calling for the introduction of mandatory labelling on packaging for products which contain palm oil in Australia. Pictured: A plantation worker collecting palm fruit
Zoos Victoria is also spearheading a campaign calling for the introduction of mandatory labelling on packaging for products which contain palm oil in Australia.
The announcement makes the company the first Australian supermarket brand to remove palm oil from its entire product line.
Darrell Lea began removing the ingredient from its confectionery range in the middle of the August across its Melbourne and Sydney factories.
Until now some of Darrell Lea's licorice products including the 'Bigger Better Liquorice Chocolate' were still made with palm oil.
Darrell Lea added it was in the process of replacing its packaging to reflect the transition and aimed to have all packaging updated by March 2021. Pictured: Darrell Lea products
Chocolate lovers have been celebrating the news.
'It will be my chocolate of choice from now on!' one woman said.
'This is such the best news! Well done Darrell Lea! Keep up the brilliant work. Chocolate without the forest destruction guilt,' another said.
'I love their licorice but stopped buying it long ago, I’m off to the supermarket tomorrow,' a third said.
The announcement makes the company the first Australian supermarket brand to remove palm oil from its entire product line
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