Freya Palm Oil | Freya is rated as the worst type of palm oil:

Another year, another Easter, and once again Freya-filled Easter eggs are in stores – Still with palm oil in the ingredients list.

– We see again and again that manufacturers prioritize low costs over sustainability, and I'm afraid that's what Freya does too, says Anya Bakken-Ries, president of Framtiden i våre, to Nettavisen.

The problem with palm oil is not the plant itself, but rather that it is produced in an unsustainable way. She adds that large-scale palm oil production has caused significant environmental damage.

In this country, milk chocolate eggs have sparked controversy over the use of palm oil in food, but they are not the only product that Freya continues to produce using the reprehensible ingredient.

Nettavisen also found palm oil in several of Freia's Easter favorites, like Twist, Smil, Dim, and Oreo.

Read also: Longing for Freya's Easter Egg: – I'm moving away

– Murder, child labor and destruction of nature

in a report Since 2018, certified palm oil plantations have been found to be involved in forced labour, child labor and discrimination against women.

There is no indication that anything has changed since 2018, says Ries, adding:

-We have seen other reports of endangered animal species being captured and killed. Today, palm oil is mostly grown in areas with rainforests and wetlands, for example, in Indonesia and Malaysia, and valuable natural areas are being destroyed.

Rise's invitation to Freya is clear:

-With so many challenges associated with palm oil production, we think Freya should replace palm oil with rapeseed or sunflower. “We want the food we eat to be produced in a better way,” she says.

Palm oil is better than its reputation – and now it's back in your food

Freya is mystic palm oil

depends on Rainforest Trust Palm Oil Guide As of 2022 Nettavisen has selected and checked chocolate products against current ingredient lists.

There is no trace of palm oil in any of Nidar's products. As for Brynhild, 1-3 percent palm oil was found in two Christmas products.

Freya's Easter eggs topped the list with 20 percent palm oil. Then it is followed by Freya Monolet with 10-15 percent, Milk Chocolate with Dime with 7.3 percent, and Smile with 6 percent.

According to current ingredient lists, there is still palm oil in these products, but Regnskogfondet informed Nettavisen that they cannot say anything about the current ratio.

– The guide is constantly updated and there will be a new comprehensive update immediately. Palm oil is an ingredient that most people want to avoid, so our goal is to give consumers guidance on which products to stay away from, Ingrid Tongen, head of deforestation-free markets at Regnskogfondet, wrote in an email.

In 2015 Freya palm oil removal Straight from the quick lunch.

Read also: Palm oil is still in the Easter basket

No guarantee

On their own Websites Freya writes that they are committed to using palm oil in a sustainable manner and therefore use RSPO certified palm oil in their products.

The RSPO is an initiative scheme started by the palm oil industry itself in 2004.

– There is no guarantee that RSPO-certified palm oil is completely deforestation-free, notes Reis.

She points out that large companies can support the RSPO externally, without necessarily using certified pure palm oil in their products.

– Some producers are members of the RSPO and have therefore committed to “becoming more sustainable”, but the question is whether all the oil they buy is certified or just parts of it, says Rees.

Kiwi and Rima customers warn: – Expect high prices

-We have a sustainable solution

Most of our products, such as Freya milk chocolate and express lunch, do not contain palm oil,” says Øyvind Olofsen, head of communications at Mondelez Norway, which owns the production of Freya. He emphasizes that Freya exclusively uses palm oil that is “RSPO (Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil) certified.”

“Like many other food companies, we use palm oil in some products to achieve desired taste, texture and durability,” Olofsen wrote in an email to Nettavisen.

Olofsen claims that replacing palm oil entirely would require a much larger area of agricultural land, increase greenhouse gas emissions, and increase the threat to animal and plant species, as other oil crops generally have lower yields.

– We know that questions are being asked about palm oil cultivation. We, like organizations like WWF, believe that boycotts are not the answer. We want to be part of a sustainable solution – along with the rest of the food chain, he says.

Olofsen believes Mondelez makes sure the palm oil it uses is produced responsibly and sustainably, through stringent supply chain requirements, which include satellite monitoring and traceability to the plantations that supply the mills.

– Production must take place on legal land, not lead to deforestation or loss of peatlands and respect human rights. All factories that supply us must be identified with Global Forest Watch, and cannot have active complaints against their direct supply lines, or be operated by the same producer groups elsewhere. In addition, suppliers must have external security for their monitoring process and systems used, and accept that we can check this at any time, says Olofsen.