Which Biscuits Contain No Palm Oil? A Comprehensive Guide

November 27, 2025 •

4 min read

Palm oil is a common ingredient in roughly half of all packaged products in supermarkets, making the search for biscuits that contain no palm oil challenging. This guide helps consumers identify and choose from a wide range of palm oil-free biscuit options for ethical, environmental, and health reasons.

Quick Summary

This guide provides an extensive list of biscuit brands that use no palm oil, offers practical tips for deciphering complex ingredient labels, and highlights the ethical advantages of choosing palm oil-free snacks. It details brands available in different regions and includes a comparison of several popular options.

Key Points

Hidden Ingredients: Palm oil can be disguised on ingredient labels as 'vegetable oil' or by using technical names like 'palmate' or 'palmitate'.
Ethical Brands: Companies such as Mr Organic, Island Bakery, and Organic Times produce biscuits that are guaranteed palm oil-free.
Regional Options: Specific palm oil-free brands exist in various regions, including Leda in Australia and Bonne Maman in Europe.
Look for Alternatives: Classic options like traditional butter-based Walkers Shortbread and DIY recipes are simple ways to ensure no palm oil is used.
Sustainable Choices: Supporting brands with transparent sourcing, including certified organic or RSPO-segregated palm oil, contributes to better environmental practices.
Environmental Impact: Avoiding palm oil helps combat deforestation and protects the habitats of endangered wildlife.

The Case for Palm Oil-Free Biscuits

For many people, the decision to avoid palm oil is driven by a combination of environmental and ethical concerns. The oil palm's high yield and low production cost have made it a ubiquitous ingredient, but its rapid expansion has led to significant deforestation in tropical regions, particularly in Indonesia and Malaysia. This large-scale clearing of land has destroyed the natural habitats of endangered species like orangutans, tigers, and elephants, pushing some to the brink of extinction. The industry has also faced criticism over poor labor practices and the displacement of indigenous peoples.

Additionally, from a health perspective, palm oil is high in saturated fat. Health organizations often recommend limiting its intake due to its potential to raise 'bad' cholesterol levels and increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. For many conscious consumers, opting for products that contain no palm oil is a direct way to support better environmental practices and make healthier dietary choices.

How to Identify Palm Oil on Ingredient Labels

Navigating ingredient lists can be tricky, as palm oil can be listed under many different names. In some regions, like Australia, regulations allow it to be hidden under generic terms such as 'vegetable oil' or 'vegetable fat'. European Union law requires specific labeling, but it's still crucial to be vigilant. Here are some common aliases for palm oil and its derivatives to look out for:

Technical Names: Palmate, Palmitate, Palmolein, Palmitic Acid
Fatty Acid Derivatives: Glyceryl, Stearate, Stearic Acid
Scientific Name: Elaeis Guineensis
Emulsifiers: E422, E430-436, E470-478, E481-483
General Terms: Vegetable Oil, Vegetable Fat

A useful tip is to look for alternatives listed, such as sunflower oil, olive oil, or butter, which are commonly used in palm oil-free biscuits.

Palm Oil-Free Biscuit Brands

Identifying brands that explicitly state their products are palm oil-free is the most reliable method. Many ethical and organic food companies have made this a core part of their product promise. The availability of specific brands can vary by region.

UK and European Brands

Mr Organic: This brand offers a range of biscuits that are entirely palm oil-free, including chocolate chip and digestive varieties.
Island Bakery: Known for their organic and sustainable credentials, most Island Bakery biscuits and oatcakes are palm oil-free, with the exception of their Sweet F.A. line.
Lazy Day: A popular brand for vegan and free-from products, Lazy Day's biscuits are also palm oil-free.
Doves Farm: This company produces a variety of organic, gluten-free, and palm oil-free cookies and biscuits.
Bonne Maman: Some specific products from this brand, like their Soft Heart Cakes Covered in Chocolate, are explicitly labelled as containing no palm oil.
Walkers Shortbread: Traditional shortbread recipes rely on butter, not palm oil, making Walkers Shortbread a classic, widely available option.

Australian Brands

Kez's Kitchen: Certain flavours, such as their Almond/Apricot/Date bread and Melting Moments, are palm oil-free.
Leda: This Australian brand offers a range of dairy-free, egg-free, and palm oil-free cookies and arrowroot biscuits.
Organic Times: This brand prides itself on being entirely palm oil-free across its product range, and is officially approved by Palm Oil Investigations (POI).
Gingerbread Folk: This small family-owned business offers vegan and palm oil-free gingerbread, with the added benefit of compostable wrappers.
Open Secret: An Indian brand whose millet biscuits are available in some Australian and international stores, guaranteed to be palm oil-free.

A Comparison of Palm Oil-Free Biscuits


Brand	Key Feature	Availability	Best For	Ingredient Quality
Mr Organic	Fully organic, vegan options	UK, Europe, online	Ethical, organic choice	High, uses organic ingredients
Island Bakery	Organic, renewable energy powered factory	UK, online	Sustainable production	Very high, organic
Lazy Day	Free-from (vegan, gluten-free)	UK, online	Allergy-friendly options	High, caters to specific dietary needs
Walkers Shortbread	Traditional butter-based recipe	Worldwide	Widely available classic taste	Good, butter-based
Organic Times	POI Approved, family-owned	Australia, online	Certified palm oil-free	High, ethical standards
Leda	Dairy-free, egg-free	Australia, online	Free-from Australian products	Good, caters to specific dietary needs
Bonne Maman	Specific palm oil-free varieties	Europe, some international	Classic, non-organic options	Good, but check specific products

Ethical and Sustainable Alternatives

Beyond specific brands, you can also support sustainable practices by opting for certain product types or buying from specific retailers. Making your own biscuits is another excellent way to ensure complete control over ingredients, guaranteeing no palm oil is used. Many simple recipes use only flour, sugar, and butter or vegetable oil alternatives like sunflower or olive oil. When shopping, supporting certified organic brands or companies with clear transparency about their palm oil sourcing (like those using 100% RSPO segregated palm oil) can also be a step in the right direction. The Ethical Consumer website provides a useful shopping guide to help you choose more ethically.

Conclusion

Finding biscuits that contain no palm oil is a conscious choice that is increasingly easier to make, thanks to a growing number of ethical and specialized food companies. By learning to read labels carefully and supporting brands with transparent sourcing policies, consumers can align their buying habits with their values. From UK organic brands like Mr Organic and Island Bakery to Australian favourites like Organic Times and Leda, there is a wide variety of delicious, palm oil-free options available. This guide serves as a starting point for making more informed and sustainable snacking choices, proving that enjoying a treat doesn't have to come at the expense of the environment or personal health.

Frequently Asked Questions

Palm oil is widely used because it is a versatile, semi-solid fat that is resistant to oxidation. This gives biscuits a long shelf-life and a desirable crispy, crunchy texture, and it is also relatively inexpensive compared to other vegetable oils.

No, but it often is, especially in products where palm oil is a cheap and effective fat source like biscuits. In some countries, food labeling laws allow palm oil to be listed under the generic term 'vegetable oil', so it is best to check for specific ingredients or choose products from brands that explicitly state they are palm oil-free.

Many emulsifiers, such as those with the code E471 or those containing 'stearate' or 'glyceryl' in their name, can be derived from palm oil. The only way to be certain is to contact the manufacturer and inquire about the source of their emulsifiers.

No. While some organic brands, like Mr Organic and Island Bakery, are palm oil-free, others may use certified organic palm oil in some or all of their products. You should always check the label, even on organic products, to be sure.

Walkers Shortbread is a classic example of a widely available biscuit that traditionally uses only butter, not palm oil. For other options, especially specialized or vegan biscuits, online retailers like Ethical Superstore (UK) or health food markets often stock dedicated palm oil-free sections.

Using CSPO is a step towards more sustainable practices, but not all certifications are equal. Some schemes, like Mass Balance, mix certified and uncertified oil. The most stringent certification is 'Identity Preserved', which is 100% traceable. The WWF provides a scorecard to help assess company performance.

Products like chocolate-filled, cream-filled, and certain varieties of digestive biscuits and wafers are very likely to contain palm oil due to its texture and stability properties. Cracker-style biscuits and traditional shortbread are less likely but still require label checking.