EU Denies Launching Campaign Against Indonesian Palm Oil

A report from Antara on September 6 said the European Union denied that it launched a black campaign against Indonesian palm oil.  It said it was the market that had put the label of “palm oil free” in their products to gain more consumers.   “The European Union as an institution has nothing to do with the campaign.  It was the NGO and producers who made the branding in the products.  It was their choice and strategy to catch the market,” Michel-Geurts told a media briefing in Jakarta.  

Consumers in European countries are concerned about the risks of consuming certain products, he elaborated. Some companies have labeled their products as “palm oil-free” to meet the preference of consumers, similarly to the labels of “gluten-free” or “pesticide-free” for other products.