Accidentally bought pure coconut oil... page

[Primal-JoJo]

So I was in a rush and accidentally bought organic PURE coconut oil instead of VIRGIN. I am sad. It is odourless. And just as expensive as virgin coconut oil.

How bad is this stuff for you? Should I still eat it?

[Dr. Bork Bork]

If it's pure and untouched, then it should be raw virgin.

Either way, I'm sure it's safe to cook with. As long as it's not LouAnna, you're fine.

[Tercio]

According to Mark, no. "The choice is clear – steer clear of the refined stuff and stick with organic virgin coconut oil." Coconut Oil Health Benefits | Mark's Daily Apple. I've made the same mistake.

Tercio

[Primal-JoJo]

According to Mark, no. "The choice is clear – steer clear of the refined stuff and stick with organic virgin coconut oil." Coconut Oil Health Benefits | Mark's Daily Apple. I've made the same mistake.

Tercio

I have read that article but feel a little unclear. It seems that hydrogenation is a problem; what I have in non-hydrogenated, and expeller pressed. I've been searching the forum but still feel pretty confused. Is expeller pressed okay?

[GuineaPigQueen]

Hm, that's interesting. I've always heard virgin coconut oil had a much lower smoking point and was best suited for low to no heat applications. That's why I've been using Spectrum Naturals naturally refined, expeller pressed oil.

[Primal-JoJo]

Opps. Never mind. Mark covered this in this post actually: Is Psyllium Husk Primal or Paleo? | Mark's Daily Apple

Verdict: It's primal.

Whew. Glad it won't go to waste. Thanks for the comments. Lol my bad for not searching the blog. Duh.

[Primal-JoJo]

Hm, that's interesting. I've always heard virgin coconut oil had a much lower smoking point and was best suited for low to no heat applications. That's why I've been using Spectrum Naturals naturally refined, expeller pressed oil.

Seems you are perfectly correct.

[Tercio]

I have read that article but feel a little unclear. It seems that hydrogenation is a problem; what I have in non-hydrogenated, and expeller pressed. I've been searching the forum but still feel pretty confused. Is expeller pressed okay?

It's not so much the hydrogenation that worries me as generally consuming a product from the places where I cannot be sure of the care taken in it's manufacture. From the linked wikipedia article on copra in Mark's article:

Making copra – removing the shell, breaking up, drying – is usually done where the coconut palms grow. Copra can be made by smoke drying, sun drying, or kiln drying. Sun drying requires little more than racks and sufficient sunlight. Halved nuts are drained of water, and left with the meat facing the sky; they can be washed to remove mold-creating contaminants. After two days the meat can be removed from the shell with ease, and the drying process is complete after three to five more days (up to seven total). Sun drying is often combined with kiln drying, eight hours of exposure to sunlight means the time spent in a kiln can be reduced by a day and the hot air the shells are exposed to in the kiln is more easily able to remove the remaining moisture. This process can also be reversed, partially drying the copra in the kiln and finishing the process with sunlight. There are advantages and disadvantages to both - starting with sun drying requires careful inspection to avoid contamination with mold while starting with kiln-drying can harden the meat and prevent it from drying out completely in the sun.

The largest source of copra is from the Philippines, where the value of annual production exceeds $80 million. A very large number of small farmers and tree owners produce copra, which is a vital source of their income. Unfortunately, in the Philippines (and elsewhere) copra is highly susceptible to the growth of aflatoxins, if not dried properly. Aflatoxins can be highly toxic, and are known to be the most potent natural carcinogenic—affecting, in particular, the liver. Aflatoxins in copra cake, fed to animals, can be passed through in milk or meat, leading to human illnesses.
In the Philippines, copra is collected as dried "cups" (the meat from one-half of a coconut), which are shipped in large burlap bags. At the shipping point (typically, a dock) the copra is sampled by driving a small metal tube into the bag at several points, thus perforating the cups and collecting small amounts of copra within the tubes. Those samples are measured for aflatoxin contamination, and if within standards the bag is shipped. Of course, this risks that many of the cups will be missed by the random insertion of the testing tube, and some seriously contaminated copra might be missed. Because so many small producers are involved, it is impractical to monitor all the farms and drying sites (which is where aflatoxin contamination occurs). The Philippines government continues to work on developing methods for testing, safety, and minimization of aflatoxins.

On the other hand virgin organic coconut oil must meet "Asian and Pacific Coconut Community Standards for virgin coconut oil, coconut oil can only be sold as such when it is “obtained from the fresh and mature kernel of coconut by mechanical or natural means with or without the application of heat, which does not lead to alteration of the oil".” So it comes down to how much can we trust some poor guy on the other side of the world? For a dollar more I'll pass on possible mold or aflatoxins. I also have the same sort of concerns about coffee.

Tercio

[bdilla]

If it's pure and untouched, then it should be raw virgin.

Either way, I'm sure it's safe to cook with. As long as it's not LouAnna, you're fine.

Uhh... I just bought some LouAna coconut oil today. Is that bad?

[Sigi]

There's still plenty of good stuff in the non-hydrogenated, expeller-pressed CO. And for taste reasons, it's the only CO I use for cooking - I mean, who wants their scrambled eggs or stir-fried veggies overpowered with the taste of coconut (bleuugghhh!).