Coconut Development Authority rejects media reports on ‘toxic’ coconut oil in the market

by Sanath Nanayakkare

All coconut oil stocks imported to the country are subjected to stringent quality checks by the Coconut Development Authority (CDA), the Sri Lanka Standards Institute (SLSI) and the Ministry of Health, therefore, there’s no room for any imported coconut oil with toxic substances to enter the Sri Lankan market, CDA Chairman Keerthi Sri Weerasinghe told The Island Financial Review (IFR) yesterday.

He said so when the IFR spoke to him in the wake of several media reports that imported coconut oil containing Aflatoxins have found their way to the shelves of supermarkets and grocery stores in the country.

“We have a stringent process for checking the quality of imported coconut oil and only if the government stipulated criteria is met, we allow imported coconut oil to be brought into the country beyond the Port of Colombo. So we categorically deny these unfounded reports that may have caused a sense of undue fear in consumers,” he said.

Further speaking he said: “If we find any coconut oil stock that doesn’t meet our standards, we take immediate action to re-export or repatriate it. Even the stocks that are found to be non-toxic don’t directly go to the consumer. These goods first go to the refinery before going to the market. and once they are refined only, they are authorized to be sold.”

“At the refinery, all imported coconut oil stocks are subjected to a physical RBD process, meaning it is Refined, Bleached, and Deodorized to remove any contaminants. It is a physical process entirely without any chemical treatments. The Aflatoxin level of coconut oil gets to zero after this meticulous RBD process. Furthermore, only trace amounts of fatty acids are left after this refining process, enhancing the nutritional value of the coconut oil,” he explained.

“I can assure consumers as chairman of the CDA that RBD oil can be consumed without any fear or concern though it can cost a bit more than other varieties they find in the market. It is no secret that some local mills use copra with fungus to extract coconut oil. The perishable copra is dried outdoors but there is no proper cleaning of the fungi before the oil is extracted. These mills don’t refine, bleach or deodarize their products nor do they bother about toxic substances or fatty acids and they tend to sell their goods on the outskirts of cities. Most of these nefarious trade practices take place outside of Colombo.”

When asked about coconut oil imports to the country, he said,” Coconut yield is not always the same year-round. There is a good yield season and a not so good season. So we have given permission to import coconut oil. We import about 200, 000 tonnes which is 80% of our total coconut oil requirement. The import tax varies according to available local yields to strike a balance between imports and consumer prices. Also, we have to be mindful of having enough coconuts going round for manufacturers of coconut-based products. Otherwise their cost of production will go up and their export businesses will have a negative impact. So it’s a careful balancing act between having enough coconut oil and coconuts for consumers and leaving enough coconuts for industrialists for their business activities while at the same time making sure that no toxic or substandard coconut oil enters our market,” he said.