About CLO and Coconut-Oil

[Guest guest]

Ok, after reading NT cover to cover, I'm game with using CLO and

Coconut Oil. I joined the coconut oil discussion group, but I'm

feeling a bit swamped trying to interpret and apply what exactly

everything means. So, can someone point me to the best

brands/sources of both of these items. I noticed some Coconut Oil

at Whole Foods, but at the price it is, I want to make sure I'm

getting the best stuff for my family. I'd like to avoid buying a

costly not-so-good/poor-quality product. The cost itself for high

quality isn't going to be the problem... the problem lies with me

still being very unclear on what high quality is. And are there two

kinds of coconut oil desired or am I misunderstanding? Something

like one for cooking and one for cold serving or is any kind good

for both?

So confused,

Amy

[Guest guest]

The more refined coconut oil is, the less it will smell/taste like

coconut. If you don't want the taste of coconuts in your food, you

will probably want to use the more refined products. Personally, I

like the Tropical Traditions product that smells/tastes like

coconut. On non-cooking days, the best I can do is to eat it from a

spoon. Refined coconut oil doesn't seem acceptable plain, from a

spoon.

I have also used the Spectrum organic product and a brand I don't

recall from the international foods store. None of them go to waste.

FWIW, I did notice coconut oil for the first time at Wal-Mart last

week. It was with the shortening and lard. It was a brand I didn't

recognize. I assume it was refined and did not smell like coconuts.

I also keep some in a little Play-Doh container for folks to use on

their skin, on things like athlete's foot or ringworm. It's very

effective. I think it works better than any medicated antifungal

remedy.

> Ok, after reading NT cover to cover, I'm game with using CLO and

> Coconut Oil. I joined the coconut oil discussion group, but I'm

> feeling a bit swamped trying to interpret and apply what exactly

> everything means. So, can someone point me to the best

> brands/sources of both of these items. I noticed some Coconut Oil

> at Whole Foods, but at the price it is, I want to make sure I'm

> getting the best stuff for my family. I'd like to avoid buying a

> costly not-so-good/poor-quality product. The cost itself for high

> quality isn't going to be the problem... the problem lies with me

> still being very unclear on what high quality is. And are there

two

> kinds of coconut oil desired or am I misunderstanding? Something

> like one for cooking and one for cold serving or is any kind good

> for both?

>

> So confused,

> Amy

[Guest guest]

>. The cost itself for high

>quality isn't going to be the problem... the problem lies with me

>still being very unclear on what high quality is. And are there two

>kinds of coconut oil desired or am I misunderstanding? Something

>like one for cooking and one for cold serving or is any kind good

>for both?

I get the Expeller Pressed from Tropical Traditions ... it doesn't

have the " coconutty " taste but it has all the good fats and hasn't

been heated etc. My family won't eat it if it tastes like coconut.

But I just use it for everything ... it's a good all-round fat for baking,

frying, making chocolates and spreads.

What you DON'T want is the " hydrogenated " coconut oil they

sell in some places. But even that is a far cry better than most

shortenings people eat.

The " virgin " coconutty tasting oil IS good if you like the taste

of coconut, but for health I don't think it makes much difference.

The coconut taste seems to be in the impurities, which after awhile

settle to the bottom of the container and REALLY smell coconutty

(and sometimes go rancid). The things that make coconut oil

healthy are:

1. It isn't rancid

2. It hasn't been heated too much

3. It contains lauric acid and MCT

4. It is saturated, not a PUFA

Those things are all true for most of the " good " coconut oils sold.

That said, buying in bulk from Western Family Naturals or Tropical

Traditions is cheaper than buying small quantities.

-- Heidi Jean

[Guest guest]

>>>The " virgin " coconutty tasting oil IS good if you like the taste of coconut,

but for health I don't think it makes much difference. The coconut taste seems

to be in the impurities,<<<

I beg to differ. The coconut taste and smell is an indication that it is good. I

wouldn't trust that any that doesn't taste and smell coconutty isn't refined in

some way:

" The process also removes the natural volatiles and anti-oxidants that give pure

coconut oil its unique flavour and aroma. "

http://www.kokonutpacific.com.au/#TheCporaP

The copra problem

Conventional coconut oil comes from dried coconut flesh, called copra. Copra is

dried in a wood-fuelled kiln, or in the sun, over a period of a few days. It is

time-consuming, dirty, lonely, arduous, fuel-intensive and low-paying work. Many

farmers consider it a form of slavery.

Copra is bulked up at an export port and shipped to a large industrial oil mill

- often in Europe or Asia. Unhygienic drying, humid tropical conditions, bulk

shipping and long distances, result in lengthy delays and the growth of moulds

on the copra. Sometimes this leads to aflatoxin contamination.

Copra oil extraction requires large-scale, high-pressure, expensive,

energy-intensive equipment. Unhygienic copra means that the resultant oil is

normally of low quality with a Free Fatty Acid (FFA) level of 3% or more. (FFA

is one measure of rancidity of oil).

Thus copra oil requires refining, bleaching and deodorising (RBD) to create a

commercially acceptable product. The refining process uses hydrochloric acid,

solvents and steam to strip out the contamination. Some residual solvents remain

in the oil. The process also removes the natural volatiles and anti-oxidants

that give pure coconut oil its unique flavour and aroma. The total process from

farm to refined oil can take many months. The residual copra-meal is only

suitable as animal feed but, even here, care is required because it can be

contaminated with carcinogenic aflatoxins.

The tropical world has over one billion coconut palms, producing over 50 billion

coconuts each year. And yet, because of the low income earned on the world

market from coconut products, many coconut groves are run down, with nuts and

old trees lying where they fall, encouraging plant disease and insect pests....

[Guest guest]

> I get the Expeller Pressed from Tropical Traditions ... it doesn't

> have the " coconutty " taste but it has all the good fats and hasn't

> been heated etc.

I think it would have been heated Heidi.

The reason it doesn't taste like coconut is because it has been steam

deodorized.

This is done by heating it to around 200°C bubbling steam through it and using a

vacuum to draw

off the volatile vapors.

They say this level of heat isn't enough to harm fatty acids and fat soluble

vitamins, etc.

I prefer the deodorized coconut oil for my own use as well.

From http://tropicaltraditions.com/epco.htm

" Expeller Pressed Coconut oil is less expensive than Virgin Coconut Oil, and

because it goes

through a steam deodorizing process the taste is very bland, unlike Virgin

Coconut Oil which

retains the odor and taste of fresh coconuts. "

regards, Bruce

[Guest guest]

>

>

> I think it would have been heated Heidi.The reason it doesn't taste

like coconut is because it has been steam deodorized. This is done by

heating it to around 200°C bubbling steam through it and using a

vacuum to draw off the volatile vapors.

>

> They say this level of heat isn't enough to harm fatty acids and fat

soluble vitamins, etc.

>

Hi all,

In Know Your Fats, Enig writes that Omega Nutrition's oil, even

though it has no coconut taste/odor (it's steamed), is okay. Here is

what Omega Nutrition wrote to me regarding their oil when I asked

about this (note the mistake that heating oil creates trans fat. That

mythology seems to really be stuck in people's minds):

" I can tell you how we process our oil and hopefully it will be clear

that our oil is a 1st class coconut oil. Our oil is not chemically

refined or bleached. The term " Extra Virgin " which some coconut oil

manufacturers are using, technically only applies to olive oil. It

means oil from the first pressing (which of course, ours is... but

still it is not a term that applies). Some who use the term Extra

Virgin in relation to their coconut oil often mean that their oil is

pressed using traditional methods (hand pressing) and also that the

full aroma and flavour are present. As I have mentioned, our oil is

not chemically refined and it is not damaged by excessive heat during

the pressing process. We use a mechanical press only and do not use

chemicals to extract the oil. We use only certified organic coconuts.

The natural Medium Chain Triglycerides, Lauric Acid and Caprylic Acid

are unaffected by our pressing process and the full nutritional value

of the oil is preserved. An expeller press is simply a mechanical

press... the oil is 'expelled' from the seeds. It has nothing to do

with the fact that we steam the oil after it has been pressed. The

expeller press itself does nothing to remove the smell and taste of

coconut.

Coconut oil is a naturally saturated fat. It is generally solid to

buttery in consistency at room temperature. It can be heated to higher

temperatures than most oils with out being affected. Our presses do

not heat the oil to any temperature that can harm or damage the oil.

We use steam, not exceeding 200 degrees, to remove the coconut smell

and taste from he oil. The smell and taste are removed because we want

to provide a cooking and baking oil that is naturally saturated, that

can be heated to 375 degrees without becoming a trans-fat - this is

the benefit of coconut oil, it is stable up to 375 degrees F. People

seem to like the absence of coconut smell and taste so that they can

cook and bake without everything smelling and tasting like coconut. We

are also making this product for people who need the lauric acid...

many of these people with immune system problems are are on medication

that can make it nearly impossible to take the required amount of

coconut oil if it has the full smell and taste. It can make them

nautious. So these are two good reasons why we steam away most of that

coconut smell and taste. Perhaps in the future we will provide a

product with the full smell and taste... but for now we are happy to

keep up with the demand for this neutral flavour/aroma product. "

~

[Guest guest]

>

http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/research/success/en/agr/0311e.html

So, if there's merit to this concern, then for cooking, perhaps RBD CO that

is not made from flame-dried copra might be best?

Suze Fisher

Lapdog Design, Inc.

Web Design & Development

http://members.bellatlantic.net/~vze3shjg

Weston A. Price Foundation Chapter Leader, Mid Coast Maine

http://www.westonaprice.org

----------------------------

" The diet-heart idea (the idea that saturated fats and cholesterol cause

heart disease) is the greatest scientific deception of our times. " --

Mann, MD, former Professor of Medicine and Biochemistry at Vanderbilt

University, Tennessee; heart disease researcher.

The International Network of Cholesterol Skeptics

<http://www.thincs.org>

----------------------------

>

[Guest guest]

> -----Original Message-----

> From: [mailto:sand8013@...]

>

> http://www.kokonutpacific.com.au/#TheCporaP

> The copra problem

> Conventional coconut oil comes from dried coconut flesh,

> called copra. Copra is dried in a wood-fuelled kiln, or in

> the sun, over a period of a few days. It is time-consuming,

> dirty, lonely, arduous, fuel-intensive and low-paying work.

> Many farmers consider it a form of slavery.

What's that supposed to mean? Is it slavery, or isn't it?

[Guest guest]

@@@ Amy:

Ok, after reading NT cover to cover, I'm game with using CLO and

Coconut Oil. I joined the coconut oil discussion group, but I'm

feeling a bit swamped trying to interpret and apply what exactly

everything means. So, can someone point me to the best

brands/sources of both of these items.

@@@@@

Well, thankfully there are people on this list who've made their way

through the labyrinth of coconut oil info and can give us the

scoop.... I've never tried using isolated coconut oil and have little

to no interest in it, but I eat coconut oil all the time as a part of

eating coconuts, and I have two things to add:

1. The coconut flavor is incredible and goes with *everything*... I

just can't understand why there's this whole fuss about eliminating

it... If all my food tasted and smelled like coconut I'd be in

heaven... Well, this is just arbitrary subjective taste variation of

course, but I hasten to remind people that they are not slaves to

their arbitrary culturally determined taste preferences--they can be

changed! For coconut, it's worth it!

2. In my opinion the best source of coconut oil is fresh young

coconuts eaten as a whole food. If you live near any Chinese,

Vietnamese, or Thai grocery stores, you're likely to have access to

fresh, young coconuts (white on the outside with a pointy top) for

$1.25-$1.50 a pop. If you're out in the boonies and don't have local

shops that sell young coconuts, then you might be able to find a

mail-order source and get some flats shipped to you once a month or so

(they keep well in the fridge for a few weeks). If you're willing to

do a little work, you can always buy the old, brown coconuts with hard

meat inside, which you can get anywhere (American supermarkets, Indian

shops, etc). By buying young coconuts, you sidestep all the issues

of oil processing, because you're eating a whole food, and you get the

*major* bonuses of the fresh coconut *water*, the *convenient* and

delicious soft texture of the meat, and the heavenly fresh flavor.

There is a fairly small (smaller than other nuts and most fruits)

amount of simple and complex sugars in coconut, just like most foods,

so if you have a rare condition that requires extreme avoidance of

sugars (like a few people on this list), then you're better off

getting the isolated oil; for everyone else, whole young coconuts is

probably the ideal way to get coconut oil.

Mike

SE Pennsylvania

The best way to predict the future is to invent it. --Alan Kay

[Guest guest]

> 2. In my opinion the best source of coconut oil is fresh young

> coconuts eaten as a whole food. If you live near any Chinese,

> Vietnamese, or Thai grocery stores, you're likely to have access to

> fresh, young coconuts (white on the outside with a pointy top) for

> $1.25-$1.50 a pop.

So how do you eat them exactly? Just start chopping it and have at

or drain the milk and then chop and have at? (giggles) I'm still

so new to all this.

While we're still talking about these oils, anyone have info on Cod

Live Oil too?

[Guest guest]

@@@@@

> http://www.kokonutpacific.com.au/#TheCporaP

> The copra problem

> Conventional coconut oil comes from dried coconut flesh,

> called copra. Copra is dried in a wood-fuelled kiln, or in

> the sun, over a period of a few days. It is time-consuming,

> dirty, lonely, arduous, fuel-intensive and low-paying work.

> Many farmers consider it a form of slavery.

What's that supposed to mean? Is it slavery, or isn't it?

@@@@@@@

Okay, , instead of ignoring this stupid question (for any

newcomers to the list, don't be offended-- and me have a

history of silly quibbling), I'll answer it for you. I believe it

means that the farmers conceptualize numerous forms of slavery, and

include this activity as one of them. As a form of slavery, it would

indeed be slavery, just like the Jersey is a form of the cow, and

indeed, yes, Jersey cows are cows. As a form of slavery, it may be

distinct in some respects from other forms of slavery, hence not

inheriting the full meaning of other forms, and hence justifying this

perfectly valid and meaningful phrase. As a native English speaker,

I imagine you already knew all this, but decided to suppress this

knowledge for inscrutable reasons instead... :-)

Mike

SE Pennsylvania

The best way to predict the future is to invent it. --Alan Kay

[Guest guest]

@@@@@

> http://www.kokonutpacific.com.au/#TheCporaP

> The copra problem

> Conventional coconut oil comes from dried coconut flesh,

> called copra. Copra is dried in a wood-fuelled kiln, or in

> the sun, over a period of a few days. It is time-consuming,

> dirty, lonely, arduous, fuel-intensive and low-paying work.

> Many farmers consider it a form of slavery.

What's that supposed to mean? Is it slavery, or isn't it?

@@@@@@@

Okay, , instead of ignoring this stupid question (for any

newcomers to the list, don't be offended-- and me have a

history of silly quibbling), I'll answer it for you. I believe it

means that the farmers conceptualize numerous forms of slavery, and

include this activity as one of them. As a form of slavery, it would

indeed be slavery, just like the Jersey is a form of the cow, and

indeed, yes, Jersey cows are cows. As a form of slavery, it may be

distinct in some respects from other forms of slavery, hence not

inheriting the full meaning of other forms, and hence justifying this

perfectly valid and meaningful phrase. As a native English speaker,

I imagine you already knew all this, but decided to suppress this

knowledge for inscrutable reasons instead... :-)

Mike

SE Pennsylvania

The best way to predict the future is to invent it. --Alan Kay

[Guest guest]

@@@@@

So how do you eat them exactly? Just start chopping it and have at

or drain the milk and then chop and have at? (giggles) I'm still

so new to all this.

@@@

The liquid inside the coconut is coconut water. Coconut milk is a

human invention made by combining coconut meat with regular water

according to various methods.

I've never tried using an old coconut, but for young coconuts it's a

breeze, and a cleaver (expensive) is not needed. Just buy a cheap

($10) small hatchet and a cheap ice-pick ($2). It requires very

little effort to tap a hole through the outer layers with the

ice-pick, and you can use the hammer side of the hatchet. poke two

holes, one anywhere you want and the other far enough away somewhere

for air so the coconut water will drain out quickly. To catch the

water i use a pyrex glass measuring bowl that fits the coconut just

right. After the water drains out, just place the coconut pointy end

up (on a cutting board, the ground, etc) and give a good blow or two

through the middle with the hatchet to split it into two halves. Then

just scoop out the meat with a spoon. So easy it can be done on the

go as a snack.

Also, with young coconuts you can just put the meat and some regular

water in a blender to make delicious coconut milk. About as easy as

it gets. And of course the best part is that you get a good amount of

coconut water to drink by itself, fresh or kefired.

@@@@

While we're still talking about these oils, anyone have info on Cod

Live Oil too?

@@@@

I think most of us on this list use Quantum CLO or Carlson's CLO.

I've always used Quantum (previously called " Premier CLO " ) because it

has the endorsement of various trustworthy WAPFers, including SF

herself. It can be bought from Radiant Life and probably other

sources as well. I've never tried Carlson's and know nothing about

it other than that trustworthy people apparently endorse it. I

believe Quantum is more concentrated in vitamins A and D because of

the grade of CLO used, but this could be an advantage, a disadvantage,

or irrelevant, depending on your individual needs or degree of

delusional quantitative diet optimization. It's probably irrelevant

for most people.

Mike

SE Pennsylvania

The best way to predict the future is to invent it. --Alan Kay

[Guest guest]

>>>It is time-consuming,

> dirty, lonely, arduous, fuel-intensive and low-paying work.

> Many farmers consider it a form of slavery.

What's that supposed to mean? Is it slavery, or isn't it?<<<

The only info I have is what was on that site:

http://www.kokonutpacific.com.au/#TheCporaP

Cheers,

Tas'.

[Guest guest]

> I joined the coconut oil discussion group

Which Coconut oil discussion group did you join?

The group Coconut Oil/

is a free forum with some expert people on it including Bruce Fisk who wrote the

book " Healing

Miracles of Coconut Oil " .

The other, larger forum is heavily censored.

In their intro letter they say that half of all posts are not allowed through to

be posted on

their list.

One irksome thing is that you are not allowed to share any links which are not

owned by the

Tropical Traditions people.

regards, Bruce

[Guest guest]

>depending on your individual needs or degree of

> delusional quantitative diet optimization.

Ah, like a breath of fresh air . . . the voice of sanity. I've been

getting bogged down in the details lately. Thanks!

Danelle in Kansas

[Guest guest]

@@@ :

All forms of slavery have one thing in common: coercion. To refer to a

consensual economic arrangement as " slavery " is to say that a dacshund is a

form of cow.

[...]

And sometimes when people say " slavery, " they really mean slavery. The

statement I questioned was ambiguous, and given the seriousness of the

charge, ambiguity is unacceptable.

[...]

Do some makers of coconut oil marketed in the United States use forced

labor, or products of forced labor, to make their coconut oil, or is this

company simply exploiting the colloquial ambiguity of the word " slavery " to

smear its competitors, thereby making its own products more attractive?

@@@@@@@

Okay, I see your point and agree there's some vagueness and that it's

a significant matter deserving clarification along the lines you

explained. (That's vagueness, not ambiguity, because that would

require two clearly distinct meanings, which I don't think exist in

this case, and I don't agree there's a colloquial ambiguity to the

word " slavery " . There is the specific word (lexical entry) " slave

driver " , which is ambiguous, but the general word " slavery " can only

be used in a figurative, metaphorical sense in these cases, not to

refer to a separate, distinct meaning, precluding ambiguity.)

Basic, loose agreement with your line of thinking aside, however, I'd

suggest that there may not be such a simple, black-and-white

distinction between " forced labor " and " consensual economic

arrangement " in many cases. I mean, coercion is a pretty broad

concept and can be manifested through many channels of human

interaction, including economic ones. I can imagine situations on

these tropical islands where for all practical purposes these workers

have no choice but do this kind of work. I can't help but wonder if

your reduction to such a simplistic distinction has the effect of

giving a false sense of comfort in ignoring the real gravity of the

situation, as in " oh, gee, it's just a consensual economic

arrangement--I don't mind supporting that with my consumer dollars " .

If the full details of these situations were available for someone, I

don't think they'd make their ethical judgements with such a simple

formula.

I have no information about these specific cases; I'm just making a

general point about what can exist and what ethical stances people can

assume in response.

Mike

SE Pennsylvania

The best way to predict the future is to invent it. --Alan Kay

[Guest guest]

@@@@@@

>depending on your individual needs or degree of

> delusional quantitative diet optimization.

Ah, like a breath of fresh air . . . the voice of sanity. I've been

getting bogged down in the details lately. Thanks!

Danelle in Kansas

@@@@

You're welcome! I permanently reside in the bog of details, but I

can't recommend this to others!

I think the key is to remember that when it comes to diet, once you've

had the NT epiphany or something of equivalently broad scope and

historically grounded truthfulness, the difference between " good " and

" bad " is extremely obvious, and it's better to feel good about doing

good stuff than to worry too much about the difference between " good "

and " probably even better " , which may not even have any noticeable

impact on a person's health if there are cases where " good " is " good

enough " . I mean, don't get tweaked out over tweaks unless you

specifically enjoy tweaking as a sort of hobby.

Mike

SE Pennsylvania

The best way to predict the future is to invent it. --Alan Kay

[Guest guest]

I just read that Copra Problem write up. To which kinds of coconut oil are

they referring? The stuff you get dirt cheap at major grocery stores or the

primo stuff that costs a fortune and has that super rich coconut-y smell?

It's like the vegans saying " meat " and assuming it's all factory farmed. I

just can't imagine my $150 tub VCO is so dirty, but who knows?

Elaine

>

> The only info I have is what was on that site:

>

[Guest guest]

The other coconut forum (TT) is no longer on . It moved.

Darrell

Message: 53146 From: Bruce Stordock Received: Sun Aug 15, 2004 11:09 PM

Subject: Re: About CLO and Coconut-Oil

> I joined the coconut oil discussion group

Which Coconut oil discussion group did you join?

The other, larger forum is heavily censored.

In their intro letter they say that half of all posts are not allowed through to

be posted on

their list.

regards, Bruce

[Guest guest]

>>>I just read that Copra Problem write up. To which kinds of coconut oil are

they referring? The stuff you get dirt cheap at major grocery stores or the

primo stuff that costs a fortune and has that super rich coconut-y smell? It's

like the vegans saying " meat " and assuming it's all factory farmed. I just can't

imagine my $150 tub VCO is so dirty, but who knows?<<<

If it smells and tastes coconutty, it is good. The cheap stuff doesn't have a

smell/taste because they've had to treat it so much to get all the bad stuff

out.

Cheers,

Tas'.

[Guest guest]

I used to work with the guy who runs Kokonut Pacific. I'm going to email him

shortly and see if he can give us more info on the situation.

Cheers,

Tas'.

>>>Okay, I see your point and agree there's some vagueness and that it's

a significant matter deserving clarification along the lines you

explained. (That's vagueness, not ambiguity, because that would

require two clearly distinct meanings, which I don't think exist in

this case, and I don't agree there's a colloquial ambiguity to the

word " slavery " . There is the specific word (lexical entry) " slave

driver " , which is ambiguous, but the general word " slavery " can only

be used in a figurative, metaphorical sense in these cases, not to

refer to a separate, distinct meaning, precluding ambiguity.)

Basic, loose agreement with your line of thinking aside, however, I'd

suggest that there may not be such a simple, black-and-white

distinction between " forced labor " and " consensual economic

arrangement " in many cases. I mean, coercion is a pretty broad

concept and can be manifested through many channels of human

interaction, including economic ones. I can imagine situations on

these tropical islands where for all practical purposes these workers

have no choice but do this kind of work. I can't help but wonder if

your reduction to such a simplistic distinction has the effect of

giving a false sense of comfort in ignoring the real gravity of the

situation, as in " oh, gee, it's just a consensual economic

arrangement--I don't mind supporting that with my consumer dollars " .

If the full details of these situations were available for someone, I

don't think they'd make their ethical judgements with such a simple

formula.

I have no information about these specific cases; I'm just making a

general point about what can exist and what ethical stances people can

assume in response.

Mike

SE Pennsylvania<<<

[Guest guest]

> I used to work with the guy who runs Kokonut Pacific. I'm going to

email him shortly and see if he can give us more info on the

situation.<<<

Reply:

G'day ,

Thank you for your enquiry. It is good to hear from you again. I'll

get back to you later regarding a new order of oil.

I have had a similar " slavery " question from another person. I

answered as follows:-

___________________________________

The last word of that paragraph is " slavery " and it is highlighted as

a link to a personal story of an encounter I had some years ago in

the Islands. In so many words, it was the view of my

informant that copra was a form of slavery - i.e. the gross

exploitation of vulnerable members of society who have few, if any,

other sources of cash income with which to pay for basic services

that we take as a right: education and health services.

Farmers in remote locations get very little for their copra because

they are at the end of the marketing chain. In real terms the World

price of copra has been declining for decades at about 2% p.a.

Furthermore, World prices for copra and coconut oil have been the

most volatile of all primary commodities. Many farmers only cut copra

when prices are high or when they are in urgent need of cash. In most

S. Pacific countries there is no seasonality in the production of

coconuts but in many there is a distinct seasonality in copra

production to coincide with the start of each school term when cash

is needed. To add insult to injury, the Copra Boards in a number of

S. Pacific nations were corrupt and in the last decade a number have

gone bankrupt. Copra exports have plummeted but the nuts are still

there. It is a very sorry scene.

It is the aim of our Company to try and help farm families by

enabling them to produce virgin coconut oil on the farm and to

partner with local organisations to establish the necessary support

infrastructure to get a high quality product to market.

I hope that this helps answer this particular question. "

---------------------------------

This is the bit from the link mentioned:

I was in Malu'u conducting experiments with a new technology we were

trying to develop to help farmers process their coconuts into high

quality oil instead of making copra. We had had a number of major

setbacks with equipment breakages and bad weather.

As I sat there wondering if all the effort was really worthwhile, my

gaze moved towards an obelisk standing in the shallows offshore,

about 100 meters away. Just then the man sitting next to me turned

and said in excellent English,

" Tell me, Dr Dan, will we ever be free from the chains of the copra

trade? "

That simple question in that specific location had a profound impact

on me. You see, people hate the hard, lonely and dirty work of making

copra. They hate it not only because of the nature of the work but

because they get paid so little for this raw material that is shipped

overseas for processing. They consider making copra a form of

slavery.

The obelisk I was looking at had been erected in 1992 by the local

people to mark the centenary of when and where Ambuofa had

landed on his release from kanaka slavery on Queensland sugar

plantations. had become a Christian while in Australia. On his

return he was initially rejected by his own people and persecuted

vigorously, for he had changed so much from the youth who had been

captured by the " blackbirder " slave-traders. But his remarkable

persistence in teaching the Christian message eventually had a

profound impact on his whole tribe.

I felt humbled. My difficulties were minor compared to 's but in

this location I was being challenged in a quite extraordinary way to

keep on with the task of removing another set of chains.

Dan Etherington

--------------------------

Cheers,

Tas'.

[Guest guest]

Hi everyone,

I just wrote to Omega Nutriton Re the drying over open flames

(exchange follows)

info@o...

Subject: Omega Nutrition Coconut Oil

Dear Omega Nutrition,

I have a question regarding your coconut oil: is the coconut dried

over open flames during processing?

Regards,

A

[nna Laviolette] Hello, thanks for contacting us..

About your question, NO we do not dry the coconut on a " open flame " it

is slowly dried in the sun, under cover to protect from soil and bugs.

Please write again if you wish

at your service, marianna

[Guest guest]

>I think it would have been heated Heidi.

>The reason it doesn't taste like coconut is because it has been steam

deodorized.

>This is done by heating it to around 200°C bubbling steam through it and using

a vacuum to draw

>off the volatile vapors.

>

>They say this level of heat isn't enough to harm fatty acids and fat soluble

vitamins, etc.

>

>I prefer the deodorized coconut oil for my own use as well.

OK, you are right, it's been heated ... of course since I'm using this

to FRY FOOD mostly it's a moot point ...

As for PAH's ... well, hopefully someone will start testing the different

brands and posting the amounts in each brand? Or you can use lard

or tallow and wonder about dioxin levels. Or follow Mike 's

lead and just eat coconuts.

I do like my hash browns though ...

Heidi Jean