DETERMINATION OF OPTIMUM DRYING TIME FOR THE COLD METHOD OF EXTRACTION OF COCONUT OIL

DETERMINATION OF OPTIMUM DRYING TIME FOR THE COLD METHOD OF EXTRACTION OF COCONUT OIL

ABSTRACT

Extraction of coconut oil using cold method was carried out and the optimum drying time was observed. Matured coconuts were grated into smaller particles by a manual grater and divided into three equal portion of 2kg and sun dried for 3, 4, and 5 hours respectively before the extraction of the oil. The coconut oil produced is colorless and with coconut dour. The portion that was dried for four (4) hours gave the highest yield of oil (466ml). The amount of water lost was in the order, 5hours greater than 4hours and 4hours was greater than 3hours.And therefore, the optimum drying time for grated coconut for the cold method of extracting oil is 4 hours.

CHAPTER ONE

1.0       INTRODUCTION

Coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) has been part of peoples’ diet and livelihoods in the tropical countries of Asia, the Pacific, South and Central America and Africa for thousands of years. In these areas, native meals are cooked with either coconut milk or coconut oil. In the Cook Islands in the South Pacific, particularly Rarotonga Island, slices of fresh, mature coconut kernel are served with fruits every after meal. In India, the use of coconut for food and its applications in the Ayurvedic medicine were documented in Sanskrit 4000 years ago (Kabara, 2000). Records show that in the United States, coconut oil was one of the major sources of dietary fats, aside from dairy and animal fats, prior to the advent of the American edible oil (soybean and corn) industry in the mid 1940s (Dayrit, 2005).

The long history of usage and the diverse studies done to characterise and define the composition of the various components of the coconut tree, its fruit and the related products derived from it, established the coconut’s uniqueness and superiority among agricultural crops. Every part of the coconut tree and its fruit can be either consumed by humans or animals or converted into other valuable products. If properly utilised, the coconut has the highest economic value among the palm family. This is why the coconut is normally referred to as the Tree of Life, Man’s Most Useful Tree, King of the Tropical Flora or Tree of Abundance.

Desiccated coconut, coconut milk/cream in liquid and powder form, and coconut oil are the most popular edible commercial products derived from fresh coconut meat (kernel).

The meat is very nutritious as it contains dietary fat, dietary fibre, protein, carbohydrates, microminerals such as potassium and phosphorus, and vitamins such as niacin and riboflavin.

1.1       HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

In the early 1990s, oilseeds specialists in Britain conducted a series of studies on the effect of moisture content on the extraction of oil from various oilseeds. They found that low pressures of 460 psi (32 kg/cm2) and lower could be used for extracting oil when the moisture content of the material is within the range of 10 to 13%. The traditional process of oil extraction from oilseeds is through the use of high pressure expellers (above 1600 psi), at a feed moisture content of 3 to 4%.

National Resources Institute (NRI) made available the design of the prototype bridge press appropriate for low pressure virgin coconut oil extraction. However, the technology was not promoted in the Philippines because the deference in price with copra-produced oil for micro-scale production made it uneconomical at that time. Currently, an upgraded version of the bridge press is being used by several producers in the Philippines.

1.2       SCOPE AND LIMITATION OF THE STUDY

This study focused on the determination of the optimum drying time for the cold method of extracting oil from coconut. This study is limited:

Ø    To extract the best quality of oil from the coconut (Virgin Coconut Oil).

Ø    To determine the optimum drying time for the cold method of extracting oil from coconut. 

1.3       STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

To determine the optimum drying time for the cold method of extracting oil from coconut and to also know the quality of oil that could be obtained using this method.

1.4       SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

This study will enable the coconut oil producers using cold method to be aware of the best drying time from which the highest yield of the oil will be obtained.

1.5       AIM AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

1.5.1    AIM:         

To determine the optimum drying time for the cold method of extracting oil from coconut.

1.5.2    OBJECTIVES:

Ø    To extract oil from coconut using cold method grated (coconut meat) under different drying time.

Ø    Determination of the amount of water lost per hour.

Ø    Compare the oil obtained from the grated coconut.

CHAPTER TWO

2.0       LITERATURE REVIEW

There have been different methods of extracting oil but many scientist or researchers who have work on the extraction oil preferred  using the modern machine than a manual method and have not really brought into notice that the machine been used for extraction can be determined by their efficiency.

Historically, coconut and their extracted oil have served man as important foods for thousands of years. The use of coconut oil for food was advertised in the united State in the popular cook books at the end of 19^th century. Both the health promoting attribute of coconut oil and those functional properties useful to the home maker were recognised 100 years ago. Coconut oil has been a life saving for many people, the health and nutritional benefits derived from coconut oil is unique and compelling (Enig, 1996) and day rit. 2001 had stated that medium chain triglycerides, a fraction of coconut oil has been identified as an important, medically efficacious food. Indeed, diet for critically ill children, premature infants and hospitalised patients use medium chain triglyceride as principal source of fats. Coconut oil when used in diet, it contain all classes of fats proves to be anti cholesterogenic

Oil can be extracted through manual method by pressing softer oil seeds and nuts such as groundnuts. Whereas harder, more fibrous materials such as copra (matured meat of coconut extracted from the shell and dried using fire to create copra). It is more efficient at removing oil than traditional hand squeezing, allowing, higher production rate. Fresh coconut meat is removed from the shell using a manual reamer, or are pressed in a similar way to extract the oil emulsion.

2.1   CRITICAL CONTROL POINT IN PROCESSING VIRGIN                              COCONUTOIL

To ensure that only high quality Virgin coconut oil will be produced, the following Critical Control measures should be applied in all of the processes discussed below.

1.                  RECEIPT AND INSPECTION OF NUTS

All de-husked nuts are inspected to segregate and reject immature, germinated or spoiled nuts when delivered to the plant. Only fully mature nuts, 12 to 13 months old, should be used for Virgin Coconut oil production. As an indicator of maturity of the nut, the husk and shell is brown in colour and the nut makes a sloshing sound when shaken.

Always ensure that the nut, while fully mature, does not have a haustorium because the oil content of the kernel starts to decline once the haustorium is formed and the quality deteriorates as the haustorium grows bigger (Anon, 1979).

Proper procedures must be adopted so that nuts do not break while unloading. Likewise, exposure to sunlight of the de-husked nuts during delivery, weighing and unloading should be avoided to prevent cracking of the shell that will cause spoilage. Nuts will crack and begin to decay after one hour in the sun.

2.                  STORAGE OF COCONUT

De-husked nuts should be kept in clean storage areas with cement floors, good ventilation and adequate rain/sun cover. Avoid sun exposure of the de-husked nuts. Storage bins should be designed and partitioned so that the principle of first-in first-out can be easily implemented. The pile of de-husked nuts should not be placed directly on the cement floor but on an elevated platform (pallet) with slats so that the coconut water can flow away if breakages occur. Maximum height for the storage pile of fresh nuts should not exceed 1.8 metres (Child, 1974).

De-husked, fresh coconuts should be processed within seven days from the time of harvest. Therefore the Virgin Coconut Oil processing facility should be placed within the coconut producing areas to ensure freshness of raw material and to lower transport costs of the nuts.

3.                  HANDLING OF COCONUT WATER

Coconut water spoils and ferments very rapidly once the nut is opened. When the nut is split, coconut water should be collected in a container and properly disposed off.

Coconut water should not be left on the floor as it will attract flies and become a source of contamination. Undiluted coconut water becomes very acidic and will destroy the cement surface of the floor if it is not tiled. It also generates a foul smell once fermentation has started (Ganguli, 1936).

4.                  DRYING AND HANDLING OF COCONUT OIL

Water in oil causes it to go rancid thus shortening its shelf life. To ensure the Virgin Coconut oil to have a long shelf-life, it should be subjected to an oil-drying process after recovery from coconut milk or extraction from dry grated or granulated coconut meat. Removal of residual moisture is critical in the Virgin Coconut oil produced from the Modified Kitchen Method and the Modified Natural Fermentation Method. Because both are wet extraction processes, that is, recovery is from meat with intermediate moisture content, the end product will contain more moisture than with high pressure expelling. Drying of the oil can be achieved using one of the following methods (Bawalan, 2002).

Ø    Place the extracted oil in a double boiler and heat for about fifteen minutes or until the oil has changed from turbid to water-clear colour. Oil temperature should not exceed 65°C.

Ø    Incubate or air-heat the oil in the container at 50°C for 12 hours or until the oil has changed from turbid to water-clear colour.

Ø    Vacuum dry using a commercial vacuum dryer at 50°C. Vacuum drying is the most effective way of drying oil without the risk of the colour turning yellow but the investment cost is high, so it is not a viable option for micro-scale processing.

A double boiler can be made by placing a stainless steel mixing bowl or basin in a larger pan that is half filled with water. Pour the oil into the smaller container. Once the water in the pan starts to boil, reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting so that the hot water remains at a simmer point. Do not allow oil to boil or the container to boil dry! 

2.2   METHODS OF EXTRACTING COCONUT OIL 

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