Extraction of Coconut Oil
The coconut is the most widely grown and utilized nut globally. In India alone, around 10 million people rely on the coconut plant for their livelihood, with millions more in other tropical regions. India ranks as the third-largest coconut producer in the world, with approximately 1.12 million hectares dedicated to coconut cultivation, accounting for 18% of global production. Annually, India produces about 6000 million coconuts.
A whole coconut is composed of 50% husk, 15% shell, 25% meat, and 10% water. The coconut shells are rich in components like 34% cellulose, 36% lignin, 29% pentosans, and 1% ash.
Composition of fresh coconut kernel and copra
Traditional method
Coconut oil is traditionally extracted from copra. The process begins by separating the coconut meat from the shell and then sun-drying and smoke-drying it for 6 to 8 days. Once dried, the copra is chopped into small pieces and cooked by heating in a cooker for about 30 minutes. The cooked copra is then pressed using an expeller to squeeze out the oil, which is subsequently filtered through a filter press to ensure purity. 
Mechanical extraction of coconut oil from the fresh coconut meat
Modern mechanical extraction of coconut oil involves several detailed steps. First, the coconut shells are cracked open to separate the coconut meat. This fresh coconut meat is then chopped and sliced into thin flakes of the desired size. The thin flakes are cooked by heating them at an elevated temperature for 90 minutes. After cooking, the oil is expelled from the heat-treated coconut meat (at approximately 70°C) using an oil expeller. The extracted oil is then stored in an airtight container in a cool, dark, and dry place to ensure long-term and safe storage. The de-oiled cakes obtained from this process are also suitable for human consumption.
