Faqs

Why does Whole Earth Peanut Butter contain Palm Oil?

Like many of you, we are concerned with the use of palm oil in Peanut Butter. We hope that the following explanation will provide you with a good understanding as to why our peanut butter contains palm oil, its origins, impacts and sustainability.

The reason why our Whole Earth Peanut Butter contains palm oil is because without it the peanut butter has a tendancy to split, resulting in the peanut oil separating from the peanut which is not at all desirable. The palm oil acts as a necessary emulsifier ensuring that the peanut butter does not split. The only alternative emulsifier to palm oil that could feasibly be used would be an artificial emulsifier and as Whole Earth policy is to avoid artificial ingredients where possible, it is not seen as a viable alternative.

However, we are well aware of the environmental concerns surrounding palm oil and are pleased to be able to tell you that the the palm oil in our Peanut Butters is supplied by one of the founding members of the round table for sustainable palm oil (RSPO). Their plantations are managed in such a way as to maximise long-term sustainability throughout the production process. Their methods include zero-burning policies, special planting techniques and ‘natural’ production processes which minimize pollution, reduce the use of fossil fuels and artificial fertilizers, and safeguard the environment. Equally, they follow sustainable ‘social’ policies, created to enhance the local economy and the lives of those who work on or close to their plantations. Their ethical and environmental policies relate to the environment as a whole and are in line with Sustainable criteria as defined by the RSPO, which also includes specific Orang Utang habitat as a high conservation value.

We are very sensitive to this issue and hope that this explanation has helped. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you require further information.

Why is some of the Whole Earth range not organic?

Even when our products aren’t organic, you can trust them to be 100% natural, without any artificial anythings.

Our original peanut butter, for example, isn’t organic simply because organic peanuts weren’t around when we launched it. But it has no added sugar, tastes great, and even though we now offer an organic version, some of you are happy to stick with the original that has been around for 35 years. We are also struggling to find organic peanuts in the world as the harvests last year were so bad due to flooding – we would not have enough scrummy peanut butter for everyone if it was all organic at this time… but we of course are working on it.

SOcrispY is a trail-blazingly healthier snack, being baked instead of fried, and made with all-natural things like real herbs and paprika. To insist on all-organic ingredients, though, would have almost doubled the price. And we’d prefer you to enjoy our delicious, zero cholesterol SOcrispY for everyday elevenses, twelveses or oneses rather than snack on crisps. Again, we hope to crack it and have in the near future an affordable organic option for you to all try!

You can trust anything with a Whole Earth label to be the best natural ingredients and taste simply delicious. And all the new foods we introduce from now on will be organic…

Where can I buy Whole Earth Products?

You can find our products in several supermarkets, health food and independent stores across the country.