A good-tasting virgin coconut oil

Only five months into the virgin coconut oil (VCO) frenzy, Joey Villa is finding his niche in an industry that has grown exponentially in recent years. His product, cold-pressed flavored extra virgin coconut oil sold under the brand name "Wild Country" is getting rave reviews and with orders from both the domestic and offshore markets, it won’t take too long before Villa laughs his way to the bank.

Wild Country is the first brand in the country to produce VCO in four flavors, namely, strawberry, caramel, vanilla and sweet corn. The flavors are sourced from the same company that supplies major companies such as United Laboratories, RFM and San Miguel.

Villa’s company, The CocoArk Inc. first launched Wild Country in the Bio-Search International Food Exhibit at the World Trade Center last May and it was an instant hit. Wild Country received several reviews as the best-tasting virgin coconut oil. Since then, the company’s marketing network has expanded to cover Metro Manila, Batangas, Bicol, Cavite, Cebu, Iloilo, Laguna and Leyte.

CocoArk’s processing plant in Sto. Tomas, Batangas, while modest in size, meets world-class standards. It churns out 4,000 liters monthly of food-grade extra VCO that comply with all local and international standards.

"We are still a small manufacturer but we have great expectations. We have yet to saturate the local market, but we have our eyes set on the even bigger world market that is growing more and more aware of the health benefits that could be derived from taking this nutritional supplement. In fact, before the end of December, we will be coming out with six new products," disclosed Villa.

Gearing up for the international market, CocoArk is completing documents required to get various certifications such as an organic product certification, a Halal certification that would pave the way for its entry into the billion-dollar Muslim market and a US Food and Drug Administration certification to enable it to penetrate key cities in mainland USA.

"That is the one thing that we are really working . My scheme is to acquire all of these certifications and then later focus on ensuring that I will have enough supply for the markets. It is critical for me to get these certifications that will validate me as a legitimate manufacturer of extra virgin coconut oil. Buyers will know that my products are the real deal," said Villa, adding that he expects to get these certifications in three month’s time.

While the paper work is being completed, Villa is all set to ship samples of his product to Spain, US, Malaysia and South Korea.

On the local front, CocoArk is negotiating with a major drugstore for the nationwide distribution of Wild Country that is already registered with the Bureau of Food and Drug Administration.

Villa’s involvement in the VCO business started only in December 2004, when upon the prodding of wife, Arnee, he started taking extra virgin coconut oil to build up his immune system which was then at a low point after a series of surgeries. In a few days, he felt a marked improvement in his body and he was feeling energetic for the first time in years.

"That’s when I realized this product is really good. We started to produce our own VCO and later went full steam and invested in a manufacturing plant. By April our plant was ready and by May, we launched our flavored extra VCO."

Villa of course, did a lot of research and market study which would be the basis for his decision to focus on producing flavored extra VCO.

"Despite its health benefits, most Filipino consumers are quite averse to ingesting VCO given its actual taste.Our market research on VCO showed that the most common complaint was the taste of virgin coconut oil which leaves an unpleasant aftertaste. The flavor takes care of that without eliminating its health benefits," said Villa.

By incorporating flavors in Wild Country, CocoArk has expanded its market base to include children and teenagers who do not have to mix the product with sweets, honey or juices.

"What makes our product taste better is the fact that we make use of the ANH method (cold process absolutely no heat) to manufacture our virgin coconut oil," stressed Villa.

The use of the ANH method helps retain all its natural components, vitamin E, and other heat sensitive nutrients and antioxidants. In contrast, the addition of heat in the manufacturing process reduces the natural vitamins and nutrients that should be found intact in VCO.

At the Batangas plant, freshly harvested mature coconuts are grated and then cold-pressed to make coconut milk. The milk is then brought to the decanting chambers, allowing the oil to separate from the water, and then filtered from the curds. The result is a clear oil that retains the distinct scent and taste of coconuts.

"This is the traditional method of coconut oil extraction that has been used in the Philippines for hundreds of years. Laboratory tests show that this is a very high quality coconut oil, with the lauric acid content measured at 54.9 percent which makes it an excellent anti-viral, antibacterial and antifungal agent. This oil is not mass-produced, but made by hand just as it has been done for hundreds of years," said Villa. (for inquiries contact (632) 772-4914/(632) 7725028 or email - [email protected], [email protected] and visit website - www.cocoark.com)