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Fractionated Coconut Oil
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Fractionated Coconut Oil is a fraction of the coconut oil.

We know that coconut oil is good for health and there are a few other things we know very well about coconut oil. They are;

  • It is composed of predominantly saturated fatty acids.
  • It is rich in Medium Chain Fatty Acids.
  • Being rich in saturated fatty acids, it is highly stable.
    But human nature is such that it is never satisfied or contended. It is always looking for more. So, we started looking for more stable oil which will be more beneficial for health as well, in addition to having a very long shelf life and all the goodness of coconut oil. The outcome was this, the “Fractionated Coconut Oil”.

Description: As the name goes, the Fractionated Coconut Oil is a fraction of the coconut oil from which almost all the long chain triglycerides are removed, thus leaving mainly the Medium Chain Triglycerides and making it absolutely saturated oil. This saturation gives it a very-very long shelf life and stability. In addition, fractionating raises the comparative concentration of Capric acid and Caprylic acid, thus giving it a more anti oxidant and disinfecting edge.

Preparation: For this, first hydrolysis of coconut oil is carried out. Then, the product is passed through steam distillation to obtain the fractionated coconut oil. The result is thin oil full of Medium Chain Triglycerides.

Composition: Fractionated Coconut Oil is predominantly composed of Capric & Caprylic acids.

Uses: Being thin and stable, it has plenty of uses which can be broadly categorized as under;

  • Widely used in preparation of soaps, lotions, ointments and other cosmetics.
  • In aromatherapy, as carrier oil, since it facilitates absorption of other oils and herbal extracts.
  • In massage.
  • In medicines, due to its anti septic and disinfectant properties.
  • In hair care.
  • And of course, in cooking, as it does not go rancid easily and is very stable.

Weight on your pocket: But obvious, since it involves a lot more processing (such as hydrolysis and steam distillation) on the ordinary coconut oil, it is going to be dearer. But then, it has its own benefits and justifications. Keeping in mind it’s very-very long shelf life, stability and rancidity resistant properties, it is worth the price you pay.

 

This article is contributed by Aparup Mukherjee.

Sources of Information:

  • Reports of Coconut Development Board of India,
  • Reports of KERAFED.
  • Text books of various courses of agriculture.
  • Various other reports on internet.

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jayaram  - fractionated oil, MCT oil 2009-11-02 23:32:56
i am looking for the bulk supplier for fractionated coconut oil(MCT)

please mail me as soon as
Anonymous 2009-10-30 11:23:24
I've heard that fractionated oils are even worse than hydrogenated oils, though I don't know a whole lot about it. I guess I'd go with regular coconut oil.
Coconuthead  - Process of Saponification 2009-04-10 14:15:13
True or false, but please do your research first. Fractionated coconut oil is the same process as saponification, where hydrolysis of fats and oils occur, yielding glycerol and crude soap.

The crude soap obtained from the saponification reaction contains sodium chloride, sodium hydroxide, and glycerol. These impurities are removed by boiling (steam distillation)the crude soap curds in water and re-precipitating the soap with salt. After the purification process is repeated several times, the soap may be used as an inexpensive industrial cleanser. Sand or pumice may be added to produce a scouring soap. Other treatments may result in laundry, cosmetic, liquid, and other soaps. The two fatty acids left behide give the very long shelf life, and therefore no other impurities need to be added (citric acid)for preservation of the shampoo.
CoconutOilGuy 2009-02-02 10:58:04
Hello! Fractionated coconut oil is also called MCT oil and is an artificial oil containing only 2 fatty acids (caprylic and capric). Natural coconut oil contains at least 11 different fatty acids.

Just my two cents.

Cheers,
CoconutOilGuy
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