The Nationwide “Don’t Palm us Off Campaign” was launched at Auckland zoo on November 7 with a fun packed family day. It was also the day Madju the youngest orangutan had his 4th birthday party. He and the other orangs had a great time unwrapping some rather unusual birthday treats including a jelly cake decorated with flowers and a box wrapped like a cake with newspaper and cornflakes in it.
As they partied the orangs were blissfully unaware that in their Indonesian homeland a sorry tale is rapidly unfolding there, in their only remaining habitat, the rainforest is being chopped down to make way for palm oil plantations. Unless this is halted orangutans will shortly become the first of the great apes to be extinct.
At the heart of the problem is the growing demand for palm oil. Palm oil is made from the fruit of the African oil palm tree. It is widely used in foods, cosmetics and biofuels. The problem will continue unless consumers can be persuaded to stop buying products which contain this ingredient.
After singing happy birthday to Madju there were lots of other activities : face painting , adding handprints on the palm off mural, autographing Madju’s birthday album and signing postcards in support of the Palm Off campaign.
Then, at 1.30 pm the inaugural Palm Oil Free Bake Off competition was judged. For this event zoo staff, volunteers and Friends of the Zoo had brought in their palm oil free baking. Two tables groaned under the weight of their efforts.
The judge, well known kiwi chef, author and passionate foodie Peta Mathias resplendently attired in tropical orange was flanked by 2 zookeepers as her helpers. They were faced with the gargantuan gourmet task of sampling every entry, which they accomplished with much lip smacking enthusiasm. After the judging the food went up for sale to raise funds for orang conservation in Borneo.
First place in the children’s section was awarded to Susie (9 yrs), Becky (6 yrs) and Emily (4 yrs) Goodchild for their meringutans. Peta gave them the thumbs up as the best overall entry. They were mouthwatering treats with delicate crisp shells and chewy chocolaty centers.
Amy Dixon’s Slum dog Millionaire Cupcakes and Vanessa Johnson’s Raspberry Ranga Brownies were first equal in the adult section. Pete loved the name as well as the taste of Amy’s fruity cupcakes.Vanessa’s brownies were sweet and fudgy little morsels.
Having watched the playful orangs, and read the informative information on the display boards, I am sure many of us would hate to think that we could be contributing to their extinction.
We can do our part to preserve the orang’s habitat by refusing to buy any products containing palm oil. Unfortunately it is almost impossible to know which foods in our supermarkets do contain it as it is not compulsory to state this on the label. Only peanut oil, sesame and soya bean oil must be specifically labeled in food products to protect allergy sufferers. All other oils can simply be labeled as “vegetable oil”. However if the fat content is over 25 percent the oil will probably be palm oil.
Zoo staff are lobbying Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) to legislate to label palm oil on all food products that contain palm oil (or its derivatives) and are hoping that all New Zealanders will support them.
In their spare time zoo staff are also walking the isles of supermarkets identifying and making lists of products which are palm oil free and creating a palm oil free shopping guide. This is proving to be a huge endeavor.
The public is doing their part. Consumers flexed their muscles recently and criticized Cadbury’s for taking cocoa butter out of their milk chocolate bars and replacing it with palm oil. Cadbury’s management listened and the decision to revert this process was quickly made. Soon all blocks of Cadbury’s milk chocolate will again be palm oil free.
In the Indonesian rainforest time is unfortunately running out for the orangs. The Zoo’s Conservation Officer, Peter Fraser, has warned that they could be extinct in the wild within twelve years. Other reports from overseas estimate that the time frame may be much shorter.
Wouldn’t it be great if consumers, not just in New Zealand but all over the world, halted the tide of palm oil production by choosing palm oil free products? Then we would be able to wish, not just Madju, but every orang many happy returns of the day!
If you would like to a copy of the Palm Oil Free Shopping Guide
click here.
If you would like to find out more about the endangered orangs and to sign the 'Don’t Palm us Off' petition
click here
The following 3 recipes were the winners in the Palm Oil Free Baking Competition
Meringutans
Ingredients:
For Meringues
3 egg whites
1 cup castor sugar
A few drops of yellow and red food colouring
1 tablespoon of malt vinegar
1 teaspoon of corn flour
1 teaspoon cocoa
For Ganache
100 gm of Whittaker’s milk chocolate
3 tablespoons of cream.
½ teaspoon of orange essence
Method:
1. Beat egg whites till the soft peak stage
2. Beat in castor sugar slowly, one teaspoon at a time till thick and glossy. This should take about 10 minutes.
3. Beat in food colouring, vinegar corn flour and cocoa.
5. Put lots of heaped teaspoons of the meringue mixture (for the child meringutans) and fewer heaped tablespoons of the mixture (for the adult meringutans) on an oven tray lined with baking paper.
4. Bake in low oven 110-120 degrees C for about 45 minutes until the meringues are crisp and dry.
5. While they are baking melt the chocolate and then stir in 3 tablespoons of cream and ½ teaspoon of orange essence to make the chocolate ganache.
6. When cold fill with chocolate ganache mixture and arrange on plates in meringutan families.
Raspberry Ranga Brownies
Ingredients:
330g butter
1 ¼ cups signature range cocoa
3 ½ cups Chelsea sugar
7 eggs (preferably free-range)
½ tsp Hansells natural vanilla essence
1 ¼ cups Homebrand flour
2/3 tsp Edmonds baking powder
¼ tsp salt
2 cups Nestle chocolate bits
1 cup fresh or thawed frozen raspberries
Method:
1. Melt butter completely. Pour onto cocoa in food processor and combine.
2. Add sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Mix on high speed until colour lightens slightly (approx 5 mins).
3. Add sifted flour, baking powder, salt and choc-chips and mix until just combined.
4. Gently fold through raspberries. Do not over mix
5. Pour into a 32cm x 23cm lined sponge roll tin and bake at 150degC for 65 mins.
They should crack slightly around the edges but still be soft to the touch.
6. Allow to cool before cutting.
7. Sift over icing sugar.
8. Store in airtight container.
Slum dog Millionaire Cakes
Ingredients:
200g dates (Cinderella)
1tsp baking soda
1c flour
1/2c self raise flour
2 apples
1c caster sugar
125g butter
1 t vanilla
1 egg
1 c water
Topping
1/3 cup milk or buttermilk
1c shredded coconut
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 c brown sugar
Method:
1. Chop dates and add 1c water and bring to boil.
2. Stir in soda and take off heat and leave to cool.
3. Mix sugar and butter in electric mixer then add egg and vanilla.
4. Add apples and date mix and stir.
5. Add sifted flours. Put into patty liners and bake for around 15 minutes.
6. Combine all topping in a saucepan until butter melts. Put on top of half cooked muffins/cupcakes and put back in oven for 15-20 minutes at 180C.