Meats, cheeses, butter, and other dairy products also contain palmitic acid, amounting to 50–60% of total fats.

[13] Triglycerides (fats) in palm oil are hydrolysed by high-temperature water and the resulting mixture is fractionally distilled.

[14] Palmitic acid is produced by a wide range of plants and organisms, typically at low levels.

To this end, palm oil, rendered from palm trees (species Elaeis guineensis), is treated with sodium hydroxide (in the form of caustic soda or lye), which causes hydrolysis of the ester groups, yielding glycerol and sodium palmitate.

[22] It is well accepted in the medical community that palmitic acid from dietary sources raises low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and total cholesterol.

[17][23][24][25] The World Health Organization have stated there is convincing evidence that palmitic acid increases cardiovascular disease risk.