New Britain Oils, the producer of sustainable palm oil products, has increased its bakery fats production capability by 30%. 

The move comes as it aims to meet the “substantial increase” in demand for segregated, traceable palm-based products. It said the rise in demand was higher in the bakery sector than in other manufacturing arms.

New Britain Oils distributes a range of frying oils and bakery fats, as well as bulk products for industrial use in the food and personal care sectors. Its customer base includes many of the UK’s leading food manufacturers.

It has seen the demand for its bakery fats increase by 50%year on year since opening Europe’s first dedicated palm oil refinery five years ago in Liverpool. It attributes the upsurge in demand for products containing segregated, certified, sustainable palm to changes to European Union (EU) food labelling laws and to major UK retailers striving to meet their 2015 sustainability targets.

Changes to EU food labelling laws, introduced in December 2014, mean that oils be declared by name rather than under the generic term ‘vegetable oil’ as was the case previously. 

Adam Thomas, general manager, said: “There’s no doubt that demand from retailers and consumers for products containing certified sustainable palm oil has been a major contributor to our business growth. This is no more so than in the bakery sector, where we have seen the biggest growth in demand over the past 12 months.

“We are also seeing an increased emphasis on traceability and supply chain security, which comes as a result of the 2013 horsemeat scandal. We believe it is important for manufacturers to know where their ingredients come from and, more importantly, that these have been produced responsibly and not at the expense of the environment, which is a concern many people have about palm oil.”