COCONUT OIL – THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY
In its purest natural form, natures gift from the “tree of life”, Coconut Oil, is an incredibly healthy oil.
However, not all coconut oils are pure or created equal. Some are cut or mixed with other cheap & nasty oils such as Palm oil. In many cases, such as when cheap palm oil has been used to “dilute” pure coconut oil by unscrupulous manufacturers, the consumer is unaware as it can be very difficult to detect. This is why it is a good idea to purchase your coconut oil from a supplier or retailer who has strict Food Safety Procedures in place that includes an “Approved Supplier” protocol.
The popularity of Coconut oil has led to many different “types” of coconut oil being invented or developed. Not all of these different types are bad, but not all of them may serve your body’s needs well either.
Choosing the Best Coconut Oil
There are so many types of labels on coconut oils available on supermarket shelves or online shops which may be confusing to consumers wondering which is the best coconut oil to purchase. To help you decide, here’s a guide to choosing the best coconut oil for you:
Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
Extra Virgin coconut oil is oil derived from the meat of mature coconuts. It’s the good, fatty oil that comes as a result of processing the meat. No chemicals are used in the extraction of the oil. The dried coconut meat is expeller pressed (squeezed) to extract the oil. Another method used is separating the oil from wet coconut meat by centrifuge which spins separating the oil from water & solids.
Extra Virgin Coconut Oil has a very definite coconut taste & aroma, so if you don’t like the taste of coconut, you may want to look for an alternative.
Refined Coconut Oil
This coconut oil is still pure coconut oil, but has been processed by filtration and deodourisation to remove the elements that give coconut it’s distinctive taste & aroma. Pure refined coconut oil is a favourite among many because it provides all the benefits of coconut oil without the distinctive coconut oil taste. Don’t be afraid to use refined coconut oil! Refined doesn’t mean that unhealthy additives have been added. As long as the coconut oil has been expeller pressed, you won’t be exposing yourself to any harmful chemicals in your coconut oil.
Liquid Coconut Oil
Now it’s time to go to talk about the less natural coconut oil substances. Liquid coconut oil is natural coconut oil that has been “Fractionated”. This is a process of removing some of the fatty acids, mainly Lauric Acid, found in coconut oil that are responsible for it setting hard when cooled to below 23C. With the Lauric Acid removed the coconut oil remains in liquid form at cooler temperatures.
Lauric Acid makes up roughly 50% of the fatty acid content in coconut oil. Lauric Acid is a very healthy fat sought after by manufacturers of products such as food ingredients, infant formula, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. For more information about Lauric Acid, check out this article:
https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-1138/lauric-acid
So, while this version of coconut oil safe to use on skin and in recipes, with the Lauric Acid stripped out, you’re not getting all of the benefits of pure or virgin coconut oil by using it.
Still confused about which Coconut Oil to use?
Some people use virgin coconut oil in their cooking or to make homemade beauty products where the taste & aroma of coconut is desired or not an issue. If you are cooking for friends or family members who don’t particularly like their food to taste like coconut, then opt for refined coconut oil instead. Fractionated coconut oil can be used in situations where the product you are making needs to remain in liquid form.
Cocavo’s Coconut Oils
Cocavo sources it’s Extra Virgin Coconut Oil from a few “Approved Suppliers” The majority is being sourced from the Solomon Islands where it has been Certified “Fairtrade Organic” This coconut oil has been small batch, expeller pressed that produces a premium grade oil with a distinctive coconut aroma & flavour.
We also source Extra Virgin Coconut Oil from the Philippines where they extract the oil using centrifuge technology. This produces a premium quality oil that has a milder coconut aroma & flavour profile.
Our 100% Pure Coconut Oil is sourced from a NZ refining company that imports the crude coconut oil and refines it through a process of filtration and steam deodourisation.
Cocavo has a good understanding of the global supply of coconut oil from the major producing countries. Like any commodity being traded, coconut oil has a value that some unscrupulous manufacturers will take advantage of to make money similar to what has been seen in the Olive Oil industry where cutting of the oil with inferior oils is rife.
Cocavo stands behind the quality and pedigree of our coconut oils, so consumers can be confident they are purchasing premium coconut oil that has not been adulterated in any way or form.
We also believe premium quality cooking oils are the foundation of a healthy diet. Whether they are used for high heat cooking or as a salad oil, they need to be affordable so families on tight budgets are also able to access nutritionally beneficial cooking oils as opposed to the highly processed, cheap seed oils that have been chemically extracted from GMO seeds and offer very little nutritional benefit.
