KOLKATA, 30 MAY: Greenpeace India campaigners ~ some dressed as orangutans ~ staged a protest outside Park Street KFC today against the company's alleged use of products containing timber and palm oil from packaging company Asia Pulp & Paper (APP). The APP has come under fire for carrying out deforestation to cultivate palm oil fields in Indonesia, as well as using timber for its products. The low cost of palm oil has led to its increasing use in the commercial food industry. However, its cultivation is leading to the destruction of the natural habitats of Indonesian orangutans and Sumatran tigers, both considered to be endangered species, according to Greenpeace. KFC's parent company in India, Yum! Restaurants India, deny the use of APP products. A spokesperson representing Yum! Restaurants said, “100% of our packaging is from sustainable sources and we do not source from Asia Pulp and Paper.” The spokesperson gave no information on what sustainable sources they use. Greenpeace India's media officer Mr Abhishek Srivastava said: “A Greenpeace investigation revealed that KFC is using palm oil in India. Based on that, we wrote to them asking for their commitment on sourcing sustainable palm oil. They refused to respond or take action despite us asking them to do so.” One of Greenpeace India's Orangutan activists ~ Jadavpur student Utsarjane Mutshuddi ~ said at today's protest: “Environment issues are given little precedence in India, but on a global level they are some of the biggest concerns. Many people here don't know about these kinds of issues, so we are trying to create awareness.” The protest continues a world-wide campaign against KFC's use of APP products. Greenpeace India plans to stage similar protests in Bangalore, Chennai, Mumbai and Delhi, according to Mr Srivastava.