Vol. XVII. No. 429. 



THE AGRICULTITRjiL !5LWS, 



M9 



THE STUDY OF COPRA AND OOCO-NUT 



OIL. 



The production of copra constitutes one oi the leading 

 industries of many tropical countries. In the Philippine 

 Islands, practically the entire annual crop of about 

 431,387,000 nuts, with the exception of those used for local 

 consumption, is turned into copra. Copra exports from the 

 Philippine Islands for 1916 vrere 72,277,164 kilograms, and 

 oil exports were 16,091,169 kilograms. The annual exports 

 represent approximately one-third of the world's output; but 

 Philippine copra is quoted lowest on the worlds market. 



In view of the importance of this industry to the 

 Philippine Islands, the Bureau of .Science has for several 

 years undertaken work, and endeavoured to accumulate 

 information with the object of suggesting imorovements in 

 the methods of drying oopra, methods for the most effective 

 recovery of the oil, and for previ'nting loss through deteriora- 

 tion of copra and coco-nut oil during storage and trans- 

 portation, due to the action of moulds, and of other micro- 

 organisms. The results of the latest efforts in this direction 

 ,are presented in the Philippine Journal of Science, March 

 1917. 



It was determined by experiment and observation, that 

 moulds (of which four species are described,) grow most lux- 

 uriantly upon copra with a moisture content of 10 per cent. 

 or greater, which is common in commercial copra, and which 

 results in loss in weight; that there is a further loss in weight 

 of copra on shipboard, which the copra dealers estimate at 

 from 3 to 6 per cent., depending primarily upon the length 

 of time of storage before shipment; that the losses incident 

 to storage and shipment are not due entirely to the evapora- 

 tion of water, but also to slow combustion which takes place 

 with the formation of carbon dioxide and water, necessarily 

 at the expense of the meat and the oil; that when properly 

 dried to a moisture content of approximately 6 per cent., 

 copra does not mould when stored where there is a circulation 

 of air, and does not absorb sufficient water, unless in a 

 saturated atmosphere for prolonged periods of time, to 

 develop even a superficial growth of mould. 



This poor ciuality of Philippine copra is, of course, 

 dependent upon the methods employed. There are two general 

 methods in use in the Philippines — sun-drying, and kiln- 

 drying. The sun-drying method used throughout the southern 

 islands is said to produce the better grade of copra; it consists 

 simply in halving the nuts, without previously husking, and 

 exposing the meat to the sun. Where sufficient care is 

 exercised in the way of cleanliness and complete drying, this 

 method produces an excellent grade of copra. In the 

 other, which is known as the grill, or 'tapahan' process, 

 the nuts are husked, halved, and placed on bamboo mats, 

 under which shells and husks are burned. After the meat 

 is partially dry, it is removed from the shells and subjected 

 to further drying. Analyses showed that the finished 

 product, as it lea%'es the drier, cuntains at least 20 per cent, 

 moisture. But even with thtse two existing methods, it is 

 suggested, a better grade of copra could be prepared if proper 

 care were exercised in haadling the product. By using 

 sun-drying in conjunction with the tapahan, a more evenly 

 dried product could be obtained. In the southern islands, 

 where the drying could be carried on entirely by the sun's 

 heat, the precautions said to be necessary would be to keep 

 the copra free from dirt, and to secure more complete drying 

 with facilities to protect it during short rainy periods. 



The use of mechanical driers is suggested as one passible 

 solution of the problem for ;:. roving the copra production 

 of the islands, but tht.se .hv.-; :.?■" been introdujsd in a cddi- 



mernal way: mechanical drying ma'jhines have been dis- 

 credited by the public through the erroceom belief that 

 when coco-nut meat i- dried in a current o' hot air, a part of 

 the oil IS carried away from the copra. It was found as the 

 result of eiperimentiition, however, -.hat when ooco-nul oil 

 was heated for four hvura in a current of hot air at 100*C.» 

 there was no appreciable loss in weight. 



The Bureau of Science has developed a simple metboi 

 for the preparation of copra by treatment with sulphur 

 dioxide gas, and allowing the meat to dry without the addi- 

 tion of artificial heat. The apparatus used ie a wooden box 

 provided with trays with split bamboo bottoms, and a 

 4-wheel car consisting of frame work and two pairs of 

 small iron wheels ri.ounted on a wooden trick, twice the 

 length of the box. The h'asked nuts are halved, end 

 spread on the trays with the concave side down, tha 

 trays are loaded in the car and pushed iato the box, 

 and 8 kilograms of sulphur are next placed in a shalbw 

 pit under the car and ignited, and allowed to burn for 

 from ten to twelve hours, liberating sufficient sulphur 

 dioxide gas for the treatment. At the end of the sulphuring' 

 period the car is rolled into the open, and the meat removel 

 from the shells with an ordinary oopra knife, or allowed to 

 remain for from four to five days, at the end of which t'mft 

 it has become sufficiently dry to allow of its ready removal. 

 After free access of air for two weeks the snlphnred materiat 

 is cut up and sacked for the market. It is claimed that 

 copra prepared by this method is clean and white, and free 

 from mould, the oil expressed being practically colourless, 

 and free from rancidity and acidity. The labour cost by this 

 method should not e.'soeed that of the tapahan or the sun-dry- 

 ing processes, and the initial outlay is small. 



A further suggestion put forward as a result of thfse 

 investigations, is that ripe nuts only should be used, for 

 the production of copra, because only fully matured nuts 

 produce copra containing the maximum oil content. The 

 nuts when opened should be kept free from dirt, and dried 

 immediately, and without smoking, to a water content of 

 -5 per cent. 



The establishment of copra standards and organizatioa 

 of copra centrals by the Government have also been proposed, 

 but for reasons given, it is shown that eomiOetf 'tandardiza- 

 tion would be difficult to establish. 



So much for copra improveiEent. 



Regarding suggestions of improved methods for *he 

 production of pure :oco-nut oil, which constituted the second 

 part of the investigation, a method for ihe production of 

 pure coco-nut oil and a valuable press cake is outlined. This- 

 does not elicninate drying, but is a continuous procesii ia 

 which the meat is removed from the shells and ground as is 

 done uniler the first uethod, v;hi:h consists (a) in grating out 

 the meat from the half nuts by means of a revolving burr, 

 or (b) freeing the meat from the shell by treating the 

 nuts with live steam for a period of from fifteen to thirty 

 minutes before grinding. The meat is dried while still hot, 

 and subjected to pressure for the removal of the oil. In 

 this proces.s a drier is used; the type suggested to be efficient 

 could be constructed along the lines of a sugar drier. The 

 meat would be machine-handled from the ti:ae that it is 

 removed from the shells until the oil and press cake ure 

 reached. It is estimated that one expeller would be scffi-i 

 cient for a plant handling 45,000 puts daily, giving an oil 

 output of 6 tons. I >v€r 60 per cent. :A total oil can be re- 

 moved in one op r'.'i.in. Thj oil obtained by this process is 

 said to be water- .v';i!e, is free from acidity and raacidity 

 and would coT.n '.: i the best market o-lces. 



