With reference to ‘palm oil’, consider the following statements:
1. The palm oil tree is native to Southeast Asia.
2. The palm oil is a raw material for some industries producing lipstick and perfumes.
3. The palm oil can be used to produce biodiesel.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Explanation
Statement 1 is incorrect: The African oil palm tree (*Elaeis guineensis*) is indigenous to West and Central Africa, not Southeast Asia. It was introduced to Malaysia and Indonesia as an ornamental crop in the 19th and 20th centuries before becoming a dominant commercial plantation staple.
Statement 2 is correct: Palm oil and palm kernel derivatives serve as indispensable fatty acid feedstocks in cosmetic manufacturing, acting as emollients, texturizers, and solvents in lipsticks, soaps, lotions, and perfumes.
Statement 3 is correct: Through a chemical process known as transesterification, refined palm oil is converted into palm methyl ester (PME), a viable commercial biodiesel blended with petro-diesel for compression-ignition engines.
Therefore, statements 2 and 3 are correct — Option B.