Listing description
Coconut oil, or copra
oil, is an edible oil extracted from the kernel or meat of mature coconuts harvested from the coconut palm (Cocos nucifera).
Detailed description
It has
various applications as food or in cosmetics. Because of its high saturated
fat content,
it is slow to oxidize and, thus, resistant to rancidification,
lasting up to six months at 24 °C (75 °F) without spoiling.[1]
Many health organizations
advise against regular consumption of coconut oil due to its high levels of saturated
fat (similar
to that ofanimal fat) having potential to increase risk of cardiovascular disease.
Production
Dry process
Coconut oil can be extracted
through "dry" or "wet" processing. Dry processing requires
that the meat be extracted from the shell and dried using fire, sunlight, or kilns to create copra.[10] The copra is pressed or dissolved with solvents,
producing the coconut oil and a high-protein, high-fiber mash. The mash is of poor quality for human
consumption and is instead fed to ruminants; there
is no process to extract protein from the mash. A portion of the oil extracted
from copra is lost to the process of extraction.
Wet process
The all-wet process uses raw
coconut rather than dried copra, and the protein in the coconut creates an emulsion of oil and water.[11]The
more problematic step is breaking up the emulsion to recover the oil. This used
to be done by prolonged boiling, but this produces a discolored oil and is not
economical. Modern techniques use centrifuges and pre-treatments including cold, heat,
acids, salts,enzymes, electrolysis, shock
waves, or some combination. Despite numerous variations and technologies, wet
processing is less viable than dry processing due to a 10–15% lower yield, even
compared to the losses due to spoilage and pests with dry processing. Wet
processes also require investment of equipment and energy, incurring high
capital and operating costs.[12]
Proper harvesting of the
coconut (the age of a coconut can be 2 to 20 months when picked) makes a
significant difference in the efficacy of the oil-making process. Copra made
from immature nuts is more difficult to work with and produces an inferior
product with lower yields.[13]
Conventional coconut oil
processors use hexane as a solvent to extract up to 10% more oil
than produced with just rotary
mills and expellers. They
then refine the oil to remove certain free
fatty acids to
reduce susceptibility to rancidification. Other
processes to increase shelf life include using copra with a moisture content
below 6%, keeping the moisture content of the oil below 0.2%, heating the oil
to 130–150 °C (266–302 °F) and adding salt or citric
acid.[14]
Virgin coconut oil (VCO) can be
produced from fresh coconut
milk, meat, or residue. Producing it from the fresh meat involves
removing the shell and washing, then either wet-milling or drying the residue,
and using a screw
press to
extract the oil. VCO can also be extracted from fresh meat by grating and
drying it to a moisture content of 10–12%, then using a manual press to extract
the oil. Producing it from coconut
milk involves
grating the coconut and mixing it with water, then squeezing out the oil. The
milk can also be fermented for 36–48 hours, the oil removed, and the cream
heated to remove any remaining oil. A third option involves using a centrifuge to separate the oil from the other liquids.
Coconut oil can also be extracted from the dry residue left over from the
production of coconut milk.[14]
A thousand mature coconuts
weighing approximately 1,440 kilograms (3,170 lb) yield around 170
kilograms (370 lb) of copra from which around 70 litres
(15 imp gal) of coconut oil can be extracted.[15]
RBD
RBD stands for "refined,
bleached, and deodorized." RBD oil is usually made from copra (dried
coconut kernel).
The dried copra is placed in a hydraulic
press with
added heat and the oil is extracted. This yields up practically all the oil
present, amounting to more than 60% of the dry weight of the coconut.[16]
This "crude" coconut
oil is not suitable for consumption because it contains contaminants and must
be refined with further heating and filtering.
Another method for extraction
of a "high-quality" coconut oil involves the enzymatic action of
alpha-amylase, polygalacturonases, and proteases on diluted coconut paste.[17]
Unlike virgin coconut oil,
refined coconut oil has no coconut taste or aroma. RBD oil is used for home
cooking, commercial food processing, and cosmetic, industrial, and
pharmaceutical purposes.
Hydrogenation
RBD coconut oil can be
processed further into partially or fully hydrogenated oil to increase its
melting point. Since virgin and RBD coconut oils melt at 24 °C
(76 °F), foods containing coconut oil tend to melt in warm climates. A
higher melting point is desirable in these warm climates, so the oil is hydrogenated. The
melting point of hydrogenated coconut oil is 36–40 °C (97–104 °F).
In the process of
hydrogenation, unsaturated fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty
acids) are combined with hydrogen in a catalytic process to make them more
saturated. Coconut oil contains only 6% monounsaturated and 2% polyunsaturated
fatty acids. In the partial hydrogenation process, some of these are
transformed into trans
fatty acids.[18]
Fractionation
Fractionated coconut oil provides fractions of the whole
oil so that its different fatty acids can be separated for specific uses. Lauric
acid, a 12-carbon chain fatty acid, is often removed because of its
high value for industrial and medical purposes.[19] The fractionation of coconut oil can also
be used to isolate caprylic
acid and capric
acid, which aremedium-chain triglycerides, as
these are used for medical applications, special diets and cosmetics, sometimes
also being used as a carrier oil for fragrances.[20]
Figures
The United States Department of
Agriculture has
published estimated production figures for coconut oil as follows; tabulated
years are from October 1 through September 30:[21]
|
Year
|
2005–06
|
2006–07
|
2007–08
|
2008–09
|
2009–10
|
2010–11
|
|
Production
|
5.91
|
5.42
|
5.79
|
5.62
|
6.60
|
6.24
|
Standards
The World Health Organization's Codex Alimentarius guidelines on food, food production, and
food safety, published by the Food and Agriculture
Organization, includes standards for commercial partners who produce coconut
oil for human consumption.[22]
The Asian and Pacific Coconut
Community (APCC),
whose 18 members produce about 90 per cent of the coconut sold commercially,[23] has published its standards for virgin
coconut oil (VCO), defining virgin coconut oil as obtained from fresh, mature
coconut kernels through means that do not "lead to alteration of the
oil."[24]
Composition and comparison
|
Fatty acid content of coconut oil
|
||||
|
Type of fatty acid
|
pct
|
|||
|
|
9%
|
|||
|
|
10%
|
|||
|
|
52%
|
|||
|
|
19%
|
|||
|
|
11%
|
|||
|
|
8%
|
|||
|
Other/Unknown
|
|
5.3%
|
||
|
black: Saturated; grey: Monounsaturated; blue: Polyunsaturated
|
||||
The following table provides
information about the composition of coconut oil and how it compares with other
vegetable oils.
Coconut
tree
Many health organizations
advise against the consumption of coconut oil due to its high levels of saturated
fat, including the United StatesFood and Drug Administration,[2] World Health Organization,[3] International College of Nutrition,[4] the United States Department of Health and
Human Services,[5] American Dietetic Association,[6] American Heart Association,[7] British National Health Service,[8] and Dietitians of Canada.[9]
Coconut oil contains a large
proportion of lauric
acid, a saturated fat that raises total blood cholesterol levels by
increasing both the amount ofhigh-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol.[31] Although this may create a more favorable
total blood cholesterol profile, this does not exclude the possibility that
persistent consumption of coconut oil may increase the risk ofcardiovascular disease through other mechanisms, particularly via
the marked increase on blood cholesterol by lauric acid.[31] Because the majority of saturated fat in
coconut oil is lauric acid,[31] coconut oil may be preferred over partially
hydrogenated vegetable oil when
solid fats are used in the diet.[32]
Uses
In food
Coconut oil is commonly used in
cooking, especially for frying, and is a common flavor in many South Asian
curries. In recent years despite its high saturated fat content, virgin coconut
oil has become popular and was described in a New York Times article
as having a "haunting, nutty," flavor with a touch of sweetness,
which works well in baked goods, pastries, and sautés.[33] Coconut oil is used by movie theatre chains
to pop popcorn,
adding a large amount of saturated
fat in the
process.[34]
Other culinary uses include
replacing solid fats produced through hydrogenation in baked and confectionery goods.[32] Hydrogenatedor
partially hydrogenated coconut oil is often used in non-dairy
creamers and
snack foods, including popcorn. Hydrogenated coconut oil is sold in Australia
under the brand-name Copha and is the main ingredient in Australian
snacks such as Chocolate crackles andWhite Christmas.
1 KG,2KG AND
5KG
PRICE
$37.41/KG
For more information:
mobile: +2348039721941
contact person: emeaba uche
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