DRAFT PHILIPPINE NATIONAL STANDARD PNS/PCA 2021-10/02

Virgin Coconut Oil for Human Consumption Committee Draft

7 PHILIPPINE NATIONAL STANDARD

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12 Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO) For Human Consumption

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 DRAFT PHILIPPINE NATIONAL STANDARD PNS/PCA 2021-10/02
Virgin Coconut Oil for Human Consumption Committee Draft

29 Contents
30 Foreword ................................................................................................................... ii
31 1 Scope ................................................................................................................ 1
32 2 Normative Reference ......................................................................................... 1
33 3 Definition of Terms............................................................................................. 1
34 4 Process .............................................................................................................. 2
35 5 Essential identity and quality characteristics for human consumption ............... 2
36 6 Microbiological requirements ............................................................................. 3
37 7 Hygiene ............................................................................................................. 4
38 8 Packaging ......................................................................................................... 4
39 9 Labeling requirements ....................................................................................... 4
40 10 Methods of analysis........................................................................................... 5
41 11 Methods of sampling ......................................................................................... 8
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43 Tables
44 No. Title
45 1 Identity characteristics ....................................................................................... 2
46 2 Fatty acid composition by gas chromatography ................................................ 3
47 3 Quality characteristics ....................................................................................... 3
48 4 Allowable levels of microbiological contaminants in VCO ................................. 3
49 5 Allowable levels of metal contaminants in VCO ................................................ 4
50 6 Descriptive sensory evaluation (aroma and flavor) for use in Identity
51 and Quality Characteristics ............................................................................... 5
52 7 References for metal analysis ........................................................................... 7
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54 Annexes
55 A Determination of fatty acid composition ............................................................ 8
56 B Determination of iodine value ........................................................................... 9
57 C Identity test ....................................................................................................... 9
58 D Determination of solidification ........................................................................... 9
59 E Determination of insoluble impurities/sediments ............................................... 9
60 F Determination of moisture ............................................................................... 10
61 G Determination of FFA (as Lauric acid) ............................................................. 10
62 H Determination of peroxide value ...................................................................... 10
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64 References ............................................................................................................ 11

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67 Foreword
68 At the request of the Virgin Coconut Oil Producers and Traders Association of the
69 Philippines, Inc. (VCOP), the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), a recognized
70 Standard Development Organization (SDO) by the Department of Trade and Industry
71 – Bureau of Philippine Standards (DTI-BPS), facilitated the amendment of the PNS
72 for Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO) PNS/BAFPS 22:2007 to standardize the quality and
73 ensure safety of VCO products distributed locally and exported globally. The
74 Technical Committee (TC2) was composed of representatives from academe, VCO
75 industry, research and testing institutions, government agencies, and professional
76 organizations.
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78 This standard was prepared with inputs from Dayrit et al., (2022). We thank the
79 Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and
80 Development of the Department of Science and Technology (PCIEERD-DOST) for
81 funding the research project.
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83 This standard supersedes PNS/BAFPS 22:2007 ICS67.200.10 Virgin Coconut Oil.

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Virgin Coconut Oil for Human Consumption Committee Draft

100 1. Scope

101 This standard applies to Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO) intended for human consumption
102 including use as Food Supplement.

103 2. Normative Reference

104 PNS/BAFPS 22:2007 ICS67.200.10 Virgin Coconut Oil

105 3. Definition of Terms

106 For the purpose of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
107 3.1
108 Centrifugation Method
109 a technique in VCO production to separate the oil from coconut milk using rotational
110 force of a centrifuge
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112 3.2
113 Coconut Meat/Kernel
114 Also called endosperm, is the firm white, edible flesh attached to the shell
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116 3.3
117 Coconut Milk and Coconut Cream
118 Coconut cream is a thick white emulsion obtained by manually or mechanically
119 pressing the fresh, grated mature coconut kernel. Coconut milk is a less viscous
120 emulsion that is obtained by addition of water or coconut water to the coconut cream.
121 The term coconut milk may be used to refer to both coconut milk and coconut cream
122 which are intermediate products of the wet process.
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124 3.4
125 Expeller-pressing Method
126 fresh-dry method of VCO production where the VCO is squeezed from dried, grated
127 coconut kernel using an expeller
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129 3.5
130 Food/Dietary Supplement refers to a processed food product intended to supplement
131 the diet that bears or contains one or more of the following dietary ingredients: vitamin,
132 mineral, amino acids, herb or dietary substance or botanical, animal, artificial or natural
133 origin to increase the total daily intake in amounts conforming to the latest Philippine
134 recommended energy and nutrient intake or internationally agreed minimum
135 requirements.
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137 3.6
138 Free Fatty Acids (FFA)
139 fatty acids present in the oil that are not chemically bound, the amount of which is used
140 as indicator of hydrolytic deterioration of the oil
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Virgin Coconut Oil for Human Consumption Committee Draft

142 3.7
143 Glycerides
144 compounds formed by the combination of glycerol and fatty acids which occur naturally
145 in oils and fats
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147 3.8
148 Mature Coconut
149 Coconut which exhibits change in husk color from green or yellow or orange to brown
150 or grayish-brown. This occurs from 10 to 12 months after pollination.
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152 3.9
153 Natural Fermentation Method
154 method of VCO production wherein the freshly squeezed coconut milk is allowed to
155 stand for several hours until the oil separates from the aqueous (o/w) emulsion by
156 inherent microbial and enzyme action
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158 3.10
159 Testa
160 a thin brown layer between the shell and white coconut meat
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162 3.11
163 Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO)
164 clear colorless unadulterated oil obtained from the fresh kernel of the mature coconut
165 by mechanical or physical extraction or natural fermentation methods, with or without
166 application of heat, without undergoing chemical refining, bleaching or deodorizing.
167 Below 25°C, VCO solidifies and becomes white in color.

168 4. Process

169 VCO can be described according to the principal process that is used in obtaining the
170 oil from the fresh coconut kernel or coconut milk. Addition of chemicals is not
171 permitted. The use of heat should not cause the oil to turn slightly yellow or have a
172 burnt flavor. Processing temperature should not exceed 90°C.

173 5. Essential Identity and Quality Characteristics

174 VCO consists mainly of triglycerides with a composition that is predominantly

175 saturated medium chain fatty acids and stable to oxidation even when exposed to high
176 temperatures. The fatty acid composition of VCO is distinct from animal fats, which
177 are composed mainly of long chain fatty acids. Refer to Table 2 for the VCO fatty acid
178 composition.
179 5.1 Identity characteristics
Table 1. Identity characteristics
Parameter Value
Fatty acid composition See Table 2

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Virgin Coconut Oil for Human Consumption Committee Draft

Spectrophotometric measurement,
A278  1.5
absorbance at 278 nm
Iodine value* 4.0 – 12.0
Unsaponifiable matter, wt/wt*  0.60%
VCO should have either nutty, acid or
Organoleptic characteristics (aroma, latik aroma and flavor, or combinations
flavor and color) * of any of these sensory characteristics
as described in Table 6.
*optional
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Table 2. Fatty acid composition by gas chromatography

Common name Designation Range (% FA)
Medium chain fatty acids
Caproic Acid C6:0 nd – 1.0
Caprylic Acid C8:0 3.2 – 10.0
Capric Acid C10:0 3.5 – 8.0
Lauric Acid C12:0 45.0 – 56.0
Long chain fatty acids
Myristic Acid C14:0 16.0 – 22.3
Palmitic Acid C16:0 7.5 – 11.4
Stearic Acid C18:0 2.0 – 5.0
Oleic Acid C18:1 4.8 – 10.0
Linoleic Acid C18:2 0.5 – 2.5
Linolenic Acid C18:3 nd – 0.2
≥ C20 nd – 0.1
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182 5.2 Quality characteristics

Table 3. Quality characteristics
Parameter Value
Odor and Taste Free from foreign rancid odor and
taste
Color Colorless
Solidification Below 25 °C, VCO is white solid.
Insoluble impurities/Sediments (wt/wt), max* 0.05%
Moisture (wt/wt), max. 0.10%
FFA (as Lauric acid), max. 0.20%
Peroxide value, (meq/kg), max. 3.0
Additives None permitted
*optional
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184 6. Contaminants

185 6.1 Microbiological contaminants

Table 4. Acceptable levels of microbiological contaminants in VCO

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Virgin Coconut Oil for Human Consumption Committee Draft

Parameter Value*
Aerobic Plate Count, max 100 CFU/mL
Yeast and Mold Count, max 10 CFU/mL
Total Coliform, max <3.0 MPN/mL or <10 CFU/mL
Escherichia coli <3.0 MPN/mL or <10 CFU/mL
Salmonella spp. not detected in 25g
*per volume or weight equivalent

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187 6.2 Metal contaminants

Table 5. Maximum levels of metal contaminants in VCO
Metal contaminant Value
Metals (mg/kg), max.
Iron (Fe) 5.0
Copper (Cu) 0.4
Toxic metals (mg/kg), max.
Lead (Pb) 0.1
Arsenic (As) 0.1
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189 7. Hygiene

190 Production process of VCO should be in accordance with the appropriate Sections of
191 the Recommended International Code of Practice – General Principles of Food
192 Hygiene recommended by the Codex Alimentarius Commission, RCP 1 – 1969, Rev.
193 2020 and its latest revision, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
194 Administrative Order No. 153 Series of 2004 entitled “Revised Guidelines on Current
195 Good Manufacturing Practice in Manufacturing, Packing, Repacking, or Holding Food”
196 and its future amendment thereof.

197 8. Packaging

198 Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO) should be packed in any suitable food-grade container that
199 can withstand transportation, handling, and storage conditions. The packaging should
200 be able to protect and maintain the quality of VCO for the duration of the declared
201 shelf-life.

202 9. Labeling requirements

203 The label of each package shall have the following information:
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205 9.1 Product Name: “Virgin Coconut Oil”
206 9.2 Process: “Natural fermentation”, “Centrifuge”, “Expeller” or “Physical”
207 9.3 Brand Name and /or Trademark
208 9.4 Allergen Information
209 9.5 Net volume or Net weight

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210 9.6 Name and address of Manufacturer, Repacker, Packer, Importer, Trader and
211 Distributor
212 9.7 Nutrition Facts/Nutrition Information
213 9.8 Storage condition: “Store away from direct sunlight.”
214 9.9 Lot Identification Number/Code
215 9.10 Expiration Date/Use-by-Date/Consume Before Date (Recommended last
216 consumption date) in alpha numeric format (ie. 10Jan23)
217 9.11 Manufacturing Date:
218 9.12 Philippine FDA License to Operate (LTO) Number, FDA Food Registration
219 (FR) Number and bar code are optional
220 9.13 For VCO applied as Food Supplement, the phrase “Food/Dietary Supplement”
221 as part of product name, and “NO APPROVED THERAPEUTIC CLAIMS” in
222 prescribed format in accordance to Bureau Circular No. 02 s. 1999 shall be
223 declared.
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225 The product shall also be labeled in accordance with the appropriate sections of FDA
226 Administrative Order 2014-0030 entitled “Revised Rules and Regulations Governing
227 the Labelling of Prepackaged Food Products Distributed in the Philippines” and its
228 latest revision.

229 10. Methods of analysis

230 10.1 Determination of fatty acid composition

231 According to AOAC Official Method 969.33 and ISO 12966-4:2015 in Annex A.
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233 10.2 Iodine value
234 According to AOAC Official Method 920.158 or AOAC Official Method 920.159 in
235 Annex B.
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237 10.3 Identity
238 Absorbance determination using UV-visible spectrophotometer in Annex C.
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240 10.4 Solidification
241 Determination of solidification in Annex D.
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243 10.5 Insoluble impurities/Sediments
244 According to ISO 663:2007 in Annex E.
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246 10.6 Moisture
247 According to AOAC Official Method 984.20. Karl Fischer method in Annex F
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249 10.7 Sensory evaluation

Table 6. Descriptive sensory evaluation (aroma and flavor) for use in Identity and
Quality characteristics1

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Virgin Coconut Oil for Human Consumption Committee Draft

Descriptor Definition Reference Standards

Aroma
Nutty Aroma associated with the Second layer fresh coconut
2nd layer of fresh coconut kernel cubes with testa
kernel with testa
Latik2 Aroma associated with Homemade latik2
cooked, sweet, coagulated
coconut milk
Acid Aroma associated with acetic Glacial Acetic Acid Solutions:
acid solutions 0.1% GAA
0.5% GAA
Rancid Aroma associated with old, Caprylic Acid in refined,
unpleasant, acrid, and acidic bleached and deodorized
oil (RBD) coconut oil matrix
Flavor
Nutty Flavor associated with the Second layer fresh coconut
2nd layer of fresh coconut kernel cubes with testa
kernel with testa
Latik 2 Flavor associated with Homemade latik2
cooked, sweet, coagulated
coconut milk
Acid Flavor associated with acetic Distilled Vinegar Solutions
acid solutions 3.5% Distilled Vinegar
Rancid Flavor associated with old, Caprylic Acid in RBD matrix
unpleasant, acrid, and acidic
oil
1 Villarino et al. (2020)
2 In total, 1.5kg coconut milk is boiled for 3 hours in an aluminum pan until it
coagulates and turns brown.
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251 10.8 FFA (as Lauric acid)
252 According to AOCS, 2017 ed., Official Method Ca 5a-40 and AOAC Official Method
253 940.28 with Modification in Annex G.
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255 10.9 Peroxide value
256 According to AOAC Official Method 965.33 and AOCS Recommended Method Cd 8-
257 53 with Modification in Annex H.
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259 10.10 Microbiological test

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260 Protocols based on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Bacteriological Analytical
261 Manual (BAM). 2021. Accessible at https://www.fda.gov/food/laboratory-methods-
262 food/bacteriological-analytical-manual-bam.
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264 International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Methods, AOAC Official Methods
265 of Analysis (OMA) and AOAC Performance Tested Methods (PTM) and other
266 recognized reference methods for microbiological testing can also be used.
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268
269 10.11 Metal analysis
270 According to the official methods listed in the table below.
Table 7. References for metal analysis.
Metal AOAC Official Method ISO AOCS
Copper 990.05 8294:1994 or Ca 18b-91 (03)
21033:2016a
Iron 990.05 8294:1994 or Ca 18b-91 (03)
21033:2016a
Lead 972.23c or 994.02, or 12193:2004 or Ca 18c-91
2015.01b 21033:2016a
Arsenic 957.22-1960(2002), or
985.16 or 2015.01b
a ISO21033:2016 is a direct, simultaneous determination of most of the trace metals (mercury and
arsenic are not included) in animal and vegetable fats and oils by inductively coupled plasma –
optical emission spectrophotometry (ICP-OES). The samples are diluted in a solvent (usually
xylene), and the solution is directly aspirated into the ICP-OES.
b AOAC 2015.01 is a general method for the determination of Pb, Cd, As and Hg in food using
inductively coupled plasma – mass spectrometry. Since this is a new method, further validation will
be needed for its applicability to oil samples.
c AOAC 972.23 is a method for the determination of lead in fish, will need further validation if it is to be
used for oils

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272 11. Methods of sampling

273 Sampling shall be based according to CAC/GL 50-2004 (Codex General Guidelines
274 on Sampling), CAC/RM 42-1969 (Codex Sampling Plans for Prepackaged Foods) or
275 ISO 5555:2001 (Animal and Vegetable Fats and Oils, Sampling).