Coconut Oil

Virgin coconut oil is derived from fresh coconuts (rather than dried, as in copra). Most oils marketed as “Virgin” are produced one of three ways:

1. Quick drying of fresh coconut meat which is then used to press out the oil.
2. Wet–milling (coconut milk). With this method the oil is extracted from fresh coconut meat without drying first. “Coconut milk” is expressed first by pressing. The oil is then further separated from the water. Methods which can be used to separate the oil from the water include boiling, fermentation, refrigeration, enzymes and mechanical centrifuge.
3. Wet–milling (direct micro expelling). In this process, the oil is extracted from fresh coconut meat after the adjustment of the water content, and then the pressing of the coconut flesh results in the direct extraction of free–flowing oil.

Unlike olive oil, there is no world or governing body that sets a standard definition or set of guidelines to classify Coconut oil as “Virgin”