18. What gives palm oil its red color?

Palm oil naturally contains carotenes (pro-vitamin A) which gives it its red color. Palm oil carotenoids have comparative alpha-carotene and beta-carotene distribution as carrots. (The refined red palm oil that is available in some food stores in the US has 15 times the amounts of carotenes compared to carrots and 300 times more than tomatoes!). Approximately 1 tablespoon of red palm oil meets 100% of the adult reference dietary intake (RDI). Furthermore, some animal studies have found that carotenoids may have beneficial effects on cancer and coronary heart disease.

19. Are carotenoids lost during the refining process?

During the conventional refining process 100% of the natural carotenes (pro-Vitamin A) and a substantial portion of vitamin E were destroyed. However, with the new refining technology, greater than 90% of the natural carotenes and vitamin E may be retained.

20. What are Commodity Futures?

Commodity Futures are contracts to buy specific quantity of a particular commodity at a future date. It is similar to the Index futures and Stock futures but the underlying happens to be commodities instead of Stocks and indices.

21. Commodity Futures are recently introduced in India. Aren't they?

Commodity futures market has been in existence in India for centuries. The Government of India banned futures trading in certain commodities in 70s. However trading in commodity futures has been permitted again by the government in order to help the Commodity producers, traders and investors. World-wide, commodity exchanges originated before the other financial exchanges. Infact most of the derivatives instruments had their birth in commodity exchanges.

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