- Which country has the best coconut oil?
- Are there different grades of coconut oil?
- Which coconut oil lasts the longest?
- Which Coconut Oil Is Best for Your Industry?
As versatile as it is, coconut oil can serve many purposes. It can be used for food and drinks, for body and hair, and even for cleaning duties. For those various things, there are several coconut oil varieties to choose from. But, which one is the right one for you? Carry on reading to find your answer.
Which country has the best type of coconut oil?
There is no one specific country that clearly has coconut oil with the best quality. However, the Philippines is the world’s top in terms of coconut oil production number. Then, following closely behind is Indonesia. Three other countries namely India, Vietnam, and Mexico complete the top five of the ranking.
There are some common characteristics of the five countries with the most coconut oil production, one of which is that all of them located near the equator. It is obvious since coconut is a tropical plant. Moreover, the top two countries are archipelagos, so they have plenty of coastal soil, which is great for coconut growth.
Are there different grades of coconut oil?
Yes, there are various grades in each type of coconut oil. To differentiate many types of coconut oil, some specific terms are used. Therefore, you need to understand the meanings of those terms in order to choose the perfect coconut oil for any of your purposes. To understand coconut oil test result, read our guide here.
RBD Coconut Oil
RBD stands for refined, bleached, and deodorized, which are the three steps of the RBD coconut oil making process. The oil also has other names, which are refined coconut oil and coconut oil 76 degree. The number 76 comes from the oil’s melting point, which is 76⁰ Fahrenheit.
RBD coconut oil is yellow, and the lighter the color is, the higher is the grade of the oil. As for the taste, the oil does not have any smell or flavor of coconut.
Virgin Coconut Oil
The term ‘virgin’ is used to refer to coconut oil which is created from coconut milk or meat extraction without any heat application (it can also be pressed from desiccated coconut). As the result, virgin coconut oil is able to maintain its scent and taste as well as containing its fatty acid content. This kind of coconut oil can also give many health benefits.
Hydrogenated Coconut Oil
Hydrogenated coconut oil is a long-shelf-life refined oil that has a high melting point of 92⁰, hence the other name of this oil, coconut oil 92 degree. The unsaturated fats in coconut oil is turned into saturated fat due to hydrogenation process.
Hydrogenated coconut oil has a higher melting point than RBD coconut oil thanks to its higher content of saturated fat. That is why it appears more solid compared to the other particular coconut oil.
MCT Oil
Known for its dietary benefits, MCT oil, or medium-chain triglycerides, is technically an edible fractionated coconut oil. The oil is designed to be better for eating purposes compared to natural coconut oil. Therefore, it contains only two out of the four medium-chain fatty acids in coconut oil namely capric acid and caprylic acid.
When consumed regularly, a maximum of 15 ml a day for cooking or in addition to drinks, MCT oil will give ketones formed energy. But, be aware of not consuming this oil too much as it can give side effects, one of which is gastrointestinal upset.
Furthermore, MCT oil can also easily absorb into human skin. For that reason, it is great to be used as the carrier oil for skincare or cosmetic products.
Which coconut oil lasts the longest?
Although it is developed to last for a long time, coconut oil still can go bad just like most other products. For the shelf life, two forms of the oil can be compared. Refined coconut oil can last for one and a half years, whereas the three years shelf life of unrefined coconut oil makes it the longest lasting one.[2]
Which Coconut Oil Is Best for Your Industry?
Coconut oil can be used in many industries such as food, drinks, cosmetics, hair products, soap, and others. Therefore, the choice depends on what are you going to use the coconut oil for. For that, here are some products with the coconut oil to use so you are not wrong in choosing coconut oil.
Ice Cream
As a semi-solid food, ice cream can utilize the saturated fat content of virgin coconut oil so it is not easily melted. Then, if it needs coatings, the room temperature melting point of RBD coconut oil can be used as well.
If the two types of coconut oil are compared, RBD coconut oil is more preferable to be used by ice cream manufacturers[3] since it has longer shelf life and its hygiene is more assured. On the other hand, virgin coconut oil is commonly used to make homemade ice cream.
Cosmetics
Some cosmetic products such as lipstick and lip balm needs coconut oil which can handle temperature change. For that reason, coconut oil 92 degree is the best one to make many kinds of such products.
Other two types of coconut oil, coconut oil 76 degree and virgin coconut oil can also be used to manufacture cosmetic products. However, they must be processed further to have more solid forms.
Soap
To make personal care products like soap, especially liquid ones, coconut oil 76 degree is a perfect choice. It is due to the moisturizing, antibacterial, cleansing, and natural foaming properties contained in the oil.
Not only that, another refined coconut oil, coconut oil 92 degree, can also be used to manufacture soap. Thanks to its higher melting point, this oil is actually better to maintain the solid shape of bar soap.
For the formulation, 15%-33% of coconut oil is enough to make soap when it is combined with other oils such as palm oil or olive oil. On contrary, 33%-50% of coconut oil is necessary without those other oils. If coconut oil is used more, the soap will be less moisturizing.
Skincare
To serve its purpose, a skincare product requires an oil which can easily absorb the human skin. That is why MCT oil is the right one as it can carry substance to go inside the skin without clogging the pores.
Cooking Oil
Thanks to the neutral taste and smell, as well as its durability, RBD coconut oil is the one recommended for cooking oil making. Other than that, the oil is able to stay stable despite receiving heat, so it can be used multiple time while maintaining its clear appearance.
Margarine
The easily mixed characteristic of RBD coconut oil and virgin coconut oil makes them perfect to be used for margarine production. As it is more affordable, RBD coconut oil is more recommended for margarine manufacturers. Virgin coconut oil, on the other hand, is great for homemade margarine.
Whatever types of coconut oil they are, the worldwide market size is predicted to increase due to the massive use of coconut oil for many industries. With that being the case, order some RBD coconut oil or virgin coconut oil for your manufacturing purposes via [email protected] or WhatsApp +62 811-9322-777 right away.