Virgin coconut oil is coconut oil made from fresh coconut raw materials, extracted from the oil or its kernel, processed by controlled heating or without heating at all, without chemicals and RDB.
Distillation of coconut oil as above results in the content of essential compounds needed by the body intact. Pure coconut oil with the main content of lauric acid has antibiotic, anti-bacterial, and fungal properties.
Virgin coconut oil (VCO), is a modification of the coconut oil manufacturing process so that it produces products with low water content and free fatty acid content, clear color, smells good and has a long shelf life, which is more than 12 months.
When compared with ordinary coconut oil, or often referred to as cooking oil (copra coconut oil), virgin coconut oil has a better quality. Copra coconut oil will be brownish-yellow in color, odorless, and easily rancid so that its shelf life does not last long (less than two months). From an economic point of view, virgin coconut oil has a higher selling price than copra coconut oil, so studies on the manufacture of VCO need to be developed.
Process of Making Fresh Virgin Coconut Oil
Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO) is extracted from fresh coconut meat and refined to extract the oil. The process of making VCO goes through several stages. Starting from the fermentation process, churning or centrifugal separation, cooling, and also providing enzyme action to produce the separation of oil from water or humidifier. Actually, it can be made traditional and modern.
The manufacturing process also uses a natural way, not heated to very high temperatures, let alone mixing chemicals. Usually, the traditional way is made by squeezing old coconut and taking the coconut milk. This coconut milk is then processed through fermentation, then mixed with certain enzymes, or using a centrifugal machine to separate coconut pulp, water, and the clear oil known as VCO oil.
Meanwhile, a more modern manufacturing method only relies on a special machine to dry fresh old coconut. Then the dry coconut is put into the press machine to take the clear oil.
In some companies, VCO is made from fresh coconut which is boiled first to evaporate the water. The whole coconut and its utensils should not be exposed to heat at all. So the company will prepare every material and manufacturing tool that is free from exposure to engine heat or solar heat at all. Instead, there are machines designed in cold conditions. This process is called Micro-expelling.
This one oil has a fresh coconut aroma because it is made from pure fresh coconut. The content of VCO is rich in vitamin E and minerals, this content is not found in ordinary coconut oil. In addition, Virgin Coconut Oil is very suitable for moisturizing, because it has more antioxidants than ordinary coconut oil. In addition, VCO has additional other compositions, namely fatty acids, good cholesterol and does not have non-trans fatty acids or non-trans fatty acids.
