BREAKFAST foods manufacturer Mornflake has become the first UK company of its kind to ensure fully sustainable palm oil is used in its products.

Only palm oil that can be traced back to its roots on trusted plantations makes its way into the Crewe company’s award-winning cereals.

The ingredient, used to give texture to products such as granola, is being imported from certified sources overseas.

Spokeswoman Catherine Sadler said: “Mornflake is a long-standing member of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil – an international movement calling for the environmentally-friendly production of this crucial crop.

“We take our green credentials very seriously which is why we were the first breakfast cereal manufacturer in this country to make the switch to fully segregated and sustainable palm oil.

“Before this we sourced from mass balance, a method which encourages sustainable production, so this move further reinforces our commitment to protecting the world’s rainforests.

“Although using segregated sustainable palm oil is more expensive and drives our production costs up, this has not been passed onto the consumer.”

In the Philippines and Malaysia, many livelihoods depend on the production of palm oil.

A type of vegetable oil, it is derived from the fruit of the African oil palm tree and used in many everyday foods and products.

Conservationists are campaigning for sustainable production on certified plantations which are specially created to prevent forest being destroyed and natural habitats lost.

Mornflake uses only a certified source and has commended Chester Zoo on its Go Orange campaign highlighting the plight of the orangutan which faces extinction through loss of natural habitat.

The company, back on TV screens as sponsors of the Peer Morgan chat show, plans to fundraise for the zoo’s conservation project.