Frequently Asked Questions
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What is Extra Virgin Coconut Oil?
The term "extra virgin" is borrowed from the olive oil industry and
is meaningless with regard to coconut oil. It is used as a marketing ploy to make a particular product sound better than others. For a discussion of marketing hype
related to coconut oil please follow the link below.
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Is Coconut Oil Supreme™ organic? See
Is this oil Organic?
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What is the fatty acid composition of the oil?
In response to inquiries from more technically oriented individuals I have inquired about the chemical composition of
Coconut Oil Supreme™ and would like to pass along the following information for those who might be interested:
Typical fatty acid composition as follows : (analysis done by HPLC (High Performance Liquid Chromatography), an average of 5 consecutive production runs)
C8 ...... 8.86 (Caprylic)
C10......6.17 (Capric)
C12......48.83 (Lauric)
C14......19.97 (Myristic)
C15......Traces (0.01)
C16.......7.84 (Palmitic)
C18.......3.06 (Stearic)
C18:2 ....0.76
C18:1.....4.44
C20........0.05 (Arachidic)
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Where is the oil produced?
Coconut Oil Supreme™ is produced in Indonesia.
Some people have expressed concerns about the conditions under which this oil is produced. Among the "virgin" coconut oils, this is the only oil which is produced under strict hygienic conditions.
The facility producing this oil is
ISO
(ISO is the International Organization for Standardization. If you are interested in learning about the organization and its purpose we have provided a link below which will provide that information as well as clarify the significance of ISO Certification.
see: International Organization for Standardization
,
HACCP certified
Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point, or HACCP (pronounced hassip) is a system designed to ensure food safety. Details about this system can be found at the link:
HACCP - A State-of-the Art Approach to Food Safety and the oil is
produced in a Kosher-certified facility.
Before discussing the various types of coconut oil, I would like to address a common question of terminology. Many people have inquired about the difference between
coconut butter and coconut oil. They are one and the same thing. We generally think of oil as being liquid and since the liquid-solid transition temperature of coconut oil is approximately 76°F, it is often solid at room temperature and is therefore frequently referred to as coconut butter (since we think of butter as being solid at room temperature).
The most commonly available oil and the oil you are most likely to find (if you can find it) is RBD oil.
Refined, Bleached & Deodorized. This oil is produced from
copra (dried coconut meat). Due to the drying process (often air or sun drying) the resulting oil must be refined, bleached and deodorized in order to make it suitable for use. The final product is yellowish-white in color with a thick texture and no taste or odor. This was the oil which for many years was used in commercial baked goods and for popping corn. Although coconut palms do grow in some states in the United States, this RBD oil is generally the only oil which might be familiar to those of us living in the U.S.A. Although it has been exposed to bleach, solvents, high temperatures, etc. this oil is referred to as "natural" in the Western World, in essence meaning only that it has not been hydrogenated and melts at around 76° F.
Cold Pressed coconut oil. This category can be further subdivided to reflect differences in the starting materials used to produce the oil and the methods of production.
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Direct Expeller. This oil is extracted from freshly dried coconut meat which is ground and then pressed. Since there is still moisture in the coconut meat the liquid produced is about 90% oil and 10% water. This mixture is allowed to stand so that the oil will separate from the water. Some heat is then generally used to remove any water that remains. This oil has a light to medium texture.
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Traditional Hand Pressed/Home Made. In this process, fresh coconut meat is ground and pressed to produce a coconut milk which is a mixture of oil, water, proteins, etc. This mixture is allowed to ferment for approximately 48 hours which causes the solids and water content to separate from the oil. The oil is then normally boiled to remove the remaining moisture. The texture of this oil is medium to thick.
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Premium Virgin Oil.
This process produces oil with the least amount of processing so that the natural vitamin E, antioxidants and fresh coconut "essence" are retained. Fresh coconut meat is ground and expeller pressed to produce coconut milk (like the process above). The coconut milk is then centrifuged to separate the mixture into solid components, water and oil. Since each of the components has a different density, they separate into 3 layers. This oil has a very light texture and since no heat at all is applied it retains all the flavor and scent of fresh coconut. This premium oil is available in the U.S.A. under the trade name Coconut Oil Supreme™. (Lauric acid content and fatty acid composition.)
This oil has such a light and delicate flavor and aroma
that you can literally eat it by the spoonful.
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Isn't coconut oil bad for cholesterol?
In a word, no. Studies show that coconut oil is essentially "cholesterol neutral" i.e., neither raising nor lowering cholesterol.
Please see
Cholesterol and Coconut Oil for a more detailed
discussion of this issue as well as the
links to coconut info page
for many references related to this topic and to the health benefits of coconut oil.
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What are the saponification values of the oil?
The information below is for the benefit of soap and candle makers, some of whom have inquired about the properties of Coconut Oil Supreme™ when it is used for these purposes. I am not at present a soap or candle maker so I cannot speak from personal experience, and therefore would be very grateful for any feedback based on your own experiences using this oil. I am particularly interested in learning how it differs from typical refined coconut oil when used in these applications. If you are willing to share your experience or suggestions with others, please
contact us
.
My goal is to make this page as useful as possible.
One user reported that candles retain a slight coconut smell. In soap making the saponification process normally destroys the natural scent.
Info for Soap Makers:
Melting point range is 22-24°C or 76°F .
SAP Value is 246-248.
Ideal usage for soap is as a superfatting agent at 7-15%.
As a base oil in soap, you will see a nice result using it 30% of the total oil.
As compared to regular coconut oil, Coconut Oil Supreme™ produces a harder/firmer soap which has larger bubbles and is least drying (or not drying at all).
Coconut Oil Supreme™ is ideal for:
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baby soap
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facial soap
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medicinal soap
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specialty soap
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Is coconut a fruit or a nut? Actually both... in
essence all nuts are apparently fruits and the term
"nut" is used to describe a specific type of fruit. The
info below is from the Encyclopedia Brittanica
Online:
"Dry,
hard, one-seeded
fruit consisting of a kernel, usually oily,
surrounded by a hard or brittle shell that does not
split open at maturity.
Nuts include
chestnuts,
filberts, and
walnuts; but other so-called nuts are
botanically seeds (Brazil
nut,
pistachio),
legumes (peanut),
or drupes (almond
and
coconut). Most edible nuts are well
known as dessert nuts. Some nuts are
sources of oil or fat. Not all nuts are edible;
some are used for ornament."
If you have any questions
contact us
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