Abstract
Virgin coconut oil (VCO) has become one of the most prominent high-value coconut product in coconut producing countries because of its versatility. This research attempts to design a fresh-dry process based on the Low-Pressure Oil Extraction Method for the production of VCO to reduce the settling time of the oil after extraction, that usually takes 1-2 weeks. Different parameters, such as drying temperature, centrifuge speed, and centrifugation time were varied and analysed. Three mathematical models were examined to describe the drying behaviour of the grated coconut meat at 65, 70, and 75°C using a tray dryer. A VCO production fresh-dry process based on the Low-Pressure Oil Extraction Method was developed through the employment of a centrifuge. The modified method lessens the settling time while still producing standard quality VCO. As predicted by the Laplace Transform Model, the shortest time for the comminuted coconut meat to reach a moisture content of 11% at which oil from nuts can be extracted using low pressure is at 29.07 minutes using a tray dryer. The best setting of VCO production using the modified method is at a drying temperature of 70°C and at 2700 RPM and 60 minutes of centrifugation as it produced the clearest oil with a yield of 92.84 % v/v and a recovery of 18.43%. The produced VCO was tested for free fatty acid (FFA), moisture and volatile matter, colour, peroxide value, and iodine value, and the results are 0.03%, 0.11%, 0R/0.3Y, 0, and 5.77, respectively, which all passed the Philippine National Standards for VCO.
Highlights
The purest type of coconut oil, virgin coconut oil (VCO), was introduced to the world market at the end of the 20th century
The objectives of the study are: (1) To design a VCO production fresh-dry process based on the low-pressure oil extraction method that greatly lessens the settling time through the employment of a centrifuge while still producing standard quality VCO; and (2) to determine the optimum drying temperature and drying time to achieve 11% MC of the comminuted coconut meat, centrifugation speed, and centrifugation time, and the optimum setting that will yield the fastest process and the highest quality of product
The VCO sample produced at the best condition, 29.70 minutes of drying at 70 ̊C, and 60 minutes of centrifugation at 2700 RPM, was brought to the Laboratory Services Division of the Philippine Coconut Authority and was tested for the free fatty acid (FFA), moisture and volatile matter, color, peroxide value, and iodine value
Summary
The purest type of coconut oil, virgin coconut oil (VCO), was introduced to the world market at the end of the 20th century. VCO, the clear, high value oil resulting from the fresh and mature kernel of coconut (Cocos nucifera L.), is obtained through mechanical and natural means, with or without the use of heat, without undergoing chemical refining, bleaching or deodorizing, which does not lead to alteration or transformation of the natural characteristics of oil [2]. It is gaining a worldwide popularity because of its wide range of applications in medicine, food, cosmetics and the like [3]. The term fresh-wet is for the VCO process in which the VCO is obtained from the coconut milk by a variety of means after it has been extracted from freshly
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