Palm kernel oil is one of the most important oleaginous plants. It probably originated in tropical regions, on the eastern side of America and in West Africa. There is evidence that people who lived in West and Central Africa made oil from this fruit as early as the 15th century. The first references of palm kernel oil arrived in Europe for the first time in 1443, from the hands of the Portuguese navigator, Gil Eannes. First, the oil was imported to Europe in 1850, to meet the needs of fat in a growing population. The invention of margarine in 1869, together with a continuous increase in the use of vegetable fats, prompted growth in demand. This led to the cultivation of the palm kernel, which currently grows in tropical regions, all over the world.

These plants grow at a height of approx. 20 m and bloom at temperatures of 24-27 ° C. They do not bear fruit in the first 4 years, and then produce approx. 50 fruits. The main areas where it is currently grown are: West Africa, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brazil and Colombia. The harvest begins when the fruit begins to detach from the clusters of fruit. Then, these bunches are opened with knives. Each of them contains more than 2,000 pieces of fruit, with a hard base surrounded by soft pulp. Palm kernel oil is obtained from the fleshy seed and the palm oil from the pulp from which the seed has been removed.

Unlike fleshy seeds, the seeds of the palm (palmistes) are extremely hard (which makes them suitable for storage), which means that it is not necessary to extract the oil in the same place where it is harvested. The oil content is between 46-53% and the oil is obtained – once the product has been dried, shredded and conditioned – by pressure or desquamation and extraction. At room temperature, the crude palm kernel oil (or fat, depending on the temperature) is solid, yellowish-brown and has a characteristic smell and taste. Once it has been refined, it becomes a yellowish-white seed oil with a typically neutral and pleasant flavor. The oil is highly saturated, with an emphasis on lauric acid (80%), which makes it fundamentally different from palm oil. Palm kernel oil, in fact, has a greater resemblance to coconut oil.

Palm kernel oil is used in the production of margarine and cold process soaps, and also in the cosmetics industry. In the aluminum industry, palm kernel oil is used as grease in deep drawing processes for aluminum protection covers. In the food sector, palm kernel oil is used for cooking and for cooking in the oven.