Producers ask BFAD to grade VCO based on manufacturing practice

Virgin coconut oil (VCO) producers are asking the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) to categorize or grade the commodity based on manufacturing practices to give consumers more informed choices.

"The BFAD has set the temperature for manufacturing or processing VCO at no more than 40 degrees centigrade. That is a good compromise but it does not capture the essence of what consists pure virgin coconut oil," said Paolo Mamangun Jr., former president of the Virgin Coconut Oil Producers and Traders Association of the Philippines (VCOPTAP).

Mamangun said that while BFAD came up with rules more rigid than the recently passed Philippine National Standards (PNS) for VCO by the Department of Trade and Industry’s Bureau of Product Standards (DTI-BPS), the agency was rather lax on the issue of proper temperature setting for VCO.

"Coming up with a general rule that processing VCO should not exceed 40 degrees centigrade is not the way to do it because when one brand is a product as virgin coconut oil, it should be cold-pressed and not subjected to any heat," Mamangun said.

VCO is oil derived from the first press of fresh and mature coconut meat, without the use of heat. It was termed "virgin" because of its pureness, it being unrefined, unbleached and non-deodorized. As a result, VCO retains the fresh aroma of coconut milk, should be thick, water clear, smooth and sweet tasting.

VCO producers who use the cold-press method usually charge a premium for their product because it is a more complicated process but the end product’s original qualities such as its nutrient contents, natural preservatives and potency are intact, explained Mamangun.

"It would do a lot of good for the industry’s sustainability if the BFAD implements a grading system that would for instance have a product branded as premium or regular virgin coconut oil instead of lumping all products as one when in fact manufacturers have different methods of extracting virgin coconut oil," insisted Mamangun, adding that "consumers should be able to get true information, that some products are really just better than others."

Producers last year pressed for the coming up with a national standard for VCO to weed out manufacturers that do not subscribe to the practices required for claiming that their product is VCO.

"Standardization sends positive signals to potential market targets that the industry is serious in setting acceptable standards and to ensure that bad practices are immediately weeded out. This step ensures that with good manufacturing processes, the country’s virgin coconut oil is safe," said Mamangun.

Previously, PCA deputy administrator for research, development and extension Carlos Carpio said setting quality standards is critical if the fledgling industry is to reach its potential.

"It is a very promising export industry and realizing the need to come up with quality standards should prevent other manufacturers from taking short cuts in their processes, or even adulterating the product to cut costs. We have seen that happening with the nata de coco before and the potentials of the industry were never realized because of poor manufacturing practices," said Carpio.

BAFPS director Gilberto Layese said the standards should be able to conform with the standards set by the Codex Alimentarious Commission (CAC), an internationally-recognized food quality standards body of the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization.

There are now about 23 VCO manufacturers in the country, each one following their own product-quality standards.