Moisture Analysers Can Help Determine the Purity of Coconut Oil
The coconut offers a bounty of value in its flesh, water, milk and oil. Recently, coconut oil popularity has skyrocketed, especially in food products and skin care. It is found in soaps, creams, scrubs, lotions and other skin-care products. Coconut oil contains caprylic, lauric, and capric acids, which make it an excellent antioxidant, anti-fungal, disinfectant, antibacterial, antimycotic and soothing agent. In this blog, Inscale looks at how a simple moisture analyser can help to determine the purity of coconut oil.
An Introduction to Coconuts
Botanically, the coconut is a drupe, which is a fruit with an outer fleshy part that surrounds a pit of hardened endocarp containing a seed inside. Other drupes include peaches, mangoes, apricots, cherries, nectarines, plums, olives and almonds.
Coconuts grow on the coconut palm, a slender tree that is approximately 25m tall and features long, featherlike fronds. Found in South and Central America, Africa, Asia, Australia, and parts of the southernmost United States, these trees flourish in hot, humid climates, thriving in the sandy soil frequently found near shorelines. While the trees grow in more than 70 countries worldwide, top coconut producers include India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, the Philippines and Maldives.
The coconut palm tree is known as the “tree of life” in tropical regions, where residents consider the coconut a diet staple and believe it has valuable healing medicinal properties. Full of vitamins, minerals and fiber, coconuts offer great nutritional value.
History of Coconut Oil
For nearly 4,000 years, coconuts have been used for food and pharmaceutical products. Written records described inhabitants of tropical Pacific locations who relied on coconuts as an important part of their lives. Spanish explorers referred to the coconut as “coco,” which means “monkey face” in Spanish, as it resembled the head of a monkey.
According to some reports, coconut water substituted for a saline drip to save the lives of Allied soldiers during World War II. After the war, coconut oil was sold as coconut butter in the United States and marketed as margarine in England.
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil has long been used internally and externally to improve health and beauty. It contains high levels of antioxidants and has been used to boost immunity and treat viral, fungal and bacterial infections. Coconut oil can help people boost their metabolism, lose weight and lower their cholesterol. One study shows that coconut oil reduces sugar and alcohol cravings, and helps kill yeast in the body. Researchers at the Athlone Institute of Technology in Ireland found that coconut oil destroys the bacteria that can cause tooth decay.
Coconut Oil in Food
Coconut oil is a key ingredient in many food production processes, frequently used in recipes to replace butter, lard or other less-healthy fats. It contains fewer calories than butter, and also provides an excellent alternative for vegans or anyone with sensitivity to the dairy products in butter. Coconut oil is safe for consumption by diabetics, as it helps regulate their blood sugar and does not contribute to diabetes.
Types and Grades of Coconut Oil
The process of extraction is what differentiates ordinary coconut oil and virgin coconut oil. Ordinary coconut oil is produced by using any process to remove it from fresh coconut milk. To produce virgin coconut oil, no heat or sunlight can be used at any point in the extraction process. In some cases, virgin coconut oil is extracted directly by micro-expelling, which is cold compression of fresh dried coconut meat.
The result is a mixture of oil and water, which are then separated using a centrifuge, refrigeration or fermentation, or by adding enzymes and waiting for the reaction. Coconut oil that isn’t destined for a “virgin” classification can be boiled to evaporate the moisture. But what’s the ideal amount of moisture in coconut oil?
Moisture Analysers - Detecting Moisture in Coconut Oil
Moisture levels in coconut oil can vary, affecting taste, texture and quality. There are different types of coconut oil, with a range in levels of purity. In order to ensure product consistency, it’s critical for production facilities that use coconut oil to be able to determine the precise amount of moisture. That’s why production facilities rely on Adam Equipment’s PMB moisture analysers to quickly verify moisture levels in their coconut oil supplies. The PMB helps coconut oil producers control costs and ensure the quality of their product at the same time.
The PMB moisture analyser can accurately and quickly analyse the moisture content for a coconut oil sample in less than five minutes. Simply place the specimen into the heating chamber and apply heat to the sample using the PMB’s energy-efficient halogen lamp. The lamp evaporates moisture and calculates the amount of moisture weight loss to get the moisture content. After testing the moisture content of several batches of coconut oil, it’s simple to monitor and control the amount of moisture contained in each batch of oil.
A benefit of the PMB moisture analyser is its ability to retain and store set-up information, which saves the time and effort of having to re-enter the information in the next analysis. The brightly back-lit display shows all of the data in one place, simplifying operation. Recording and transmitting results is easy with the USB port and RS-232 interface, which provide fast connection between the PMB and computers or printers. The PMB moisture analyser's internal memory stores up to 99 test results, and additional test results can be stored quickly onto a flash drive or a computer. This helps users keep records close at hand, ensuring consistency between coconut oil batches in the production process.
Inscale offers two models of Adam Equipment’s PMB moisture analyser:
PMB 53 Moisture Analyser
The PMB 53 moisture analyser features a capacity of 50g and readability of 0.001g/0.01 percent.
PMB 202 Moisture Analyser
The PMB 202 moisture analyser features a capacity of 200g and readability of 0.01g/0.05 percent.
Take a look at our complete range of moisture analysers for food industry use.
Please contact us if you require any more information. Our phonelines are 01908972660 or Get In Touch.
Leave a comment