Palm oil is a natural food that has been consumed for more than 5,000 years. Palm oil is produced from the fruit of the oil palm, or Elaeis Guinnesis tree, which originated in West Guinea. While the tree was introduced into other parts of Africa, South East Asia and Latin America during the 15th century, it was first introduced 1870 as an ornamental plant. Large commercial planting and cultivation of the plant in Malaysia did not begin until the mid- 1990's.