Coconut Oil
History of Coconut Oil
On August 21, 1877, inventor Alexander Ashbourne patented the method to treat coconut oil for domestic use. His process included filtration, bleaching and heating the oil to a very high temperature. The oil is also hydrogenated to ensure that no unsaturated fatty acids are left behind. His process is still used today and has been built upon by food companies worldwide. Thanks to his work, coconut oil is used in hair products, foods and scented products.
Not much is known about Alexander Ashbourne (1820-1915). Aspects of his early life are unknown and undocumented. Ashbourne was born into slavery circa 1820 in Philadelphia. He moved to Oakland, California, in the 1880s to run his own grocery store.
What is VCO
Virgin Coconut Oil is made from the flesh of fresh coconuts. It is not made from dry coconut or Copra like regular coconut oil. It is free of processes like bleaching, deodorizing or refining and hence retains all the natural goodness, flavour and aroma. For the same reason, it is also the purest form of coconut oil you can get.
Manufacturing Processes
Farm fresh coconuts are cold processed using state of the art extraction process and brought to you in the form of COCO-OK virgin coconut oil. The process meets the highest quality norms. COCO-OK VCO is extremely rich in antioxidants and utmost care is taken to ensure that all the vital nutrients, taste, and natural fragrance is preserved till it reaches the hands of the consumer.
Virgin coconut oil vs. Refined coconut oil
When the flesh of fresh coconut is wet pressed, a solution of milk and water is obtained. The oil extracted from this solution is called Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO). It is 100% natural and does not go through the process of RBD – refining, bleaching and deodorizing.
Refined coconut oil is made from dried coconut or copra. It is refined and processed through heat exposure. It also undergoes the RBD process. During this process, the oil gets deodorized under extreme heat, gets filtered through clays to bleach the oil and remove impurities. Sodium hydroxide gets added to the final product for a longer shelf life.