The Certification Process
We are currently approved to certify in 21 countries with applications pending in others. Each product or company that displays the International
Palm Oil Free Certification Trademark has undergone very thorough research via POFCAP and has been Certified Palm Oil
Free or had some of the products in it's portfolio Certified Palm Oil free
There are 2 Stages in the Application Process. Some products or companies will only require Stage 1, others will require Stage 2 as well. The process is explained briefly below but if you are a company and you would like more detailed information about our Certification Process please click HOW TO APPLY
The International Palm Oil Free Certification Trademark's Certification process has evolved over many years of research and data collection.
We learnt many years ago that you can’t 'back engineer' a product – which means you can’t simply submit a product for testing in a lab to find out if it contains palm oil or palm oil derivatives. Testing is not specific enough to detect the 1,000's of ingredients made from palm oil (palm oil derivatives).
For these reasons POFCAP has developed its own research
methods and consumers can be sure the ingredients POFCAP has assessed have been assessed thoroughly.
This Certification is product based not brand based.
This means companies who sell products
which contain palm oil and sell products which do not contain palm oil can apply for certification for the palm
oil free products in their range. Should the company's entire range be certified Palm Oil Free the company has permission to use the Palm Oil Free Certification to market their entire range.
POFCAP's International Palm Oil Free Certification Trademark (POFCAP) assesses and certifies products and companies not recommends them. POFCAP publishes all certified products and companies on their website, in the notes section of the fb page & across social media to make consumers aware which product, company or processes have been certified.
POFCAP does not permit companies to use
language which implies that POFCAP recommends a specific product, company or process . Acceptable
wording is as follows, “Certified Palm Oil Free by POFCAP” or "Certified Palm Oil Free". More detailed information about the process will be sent to those who enquire.
This certification programme certifies if a product, company or process is 100% palm oil and palm oil derivative free. To be more specific this means any part of Elaeis guineensis the African oil palm or Elaeis oleifera the American oil palm including but not limited to the pulp/flesh, fruit, kernel, oil, leaf, husk, flowers, stalk, fibre, shell, empty bunch trunk, bark, petiole, rachis, sludge & palm kernel cake.
