Stroll down the oil aisle of any grocery store, and you are bound to find a plethora of different coconut oils. It is one of the most popular oils in today's natural food market. 

A common question that we get from food manufacturers who are choosing coconut oil as an ingredient is, "Which kind of coconut oil should I choose?"

Here's the thing: there are multiple types (or grades) of coconut oil, and they each will taste and function very differently. It is extremely important to choose the right grade of coconut oil to be able to meet both your product's functionality and attributes needs. 

In recent years the popularity of coconut oil has sky-rocketed and still continues. However, there is a lot of different variations of coconut oil, so it can be hard sometimes to understand exactly what you are getting. 

When you are walking through aisles at the grocery store and scan the shelves for each brand of coconut oil provided you will notice every jar will have differences in description on the labels. Some brands you have chosen to highlight the fact that the oil inside is unrefined, sometimes that it's a superfood, or even perhaps that it is cold-pressed. Some are organic and, of course, some are not.

There is one rather big difference between the types of coconut oils, and this one you will see over and over again on the labels: whether the oil is "virgin" or not. Unrefined oil is typically called out using the word "virgin", meaning, "the grade of coconut oil that is not refined".

The popularity of coconut oil has sky-rocketed in recent years. However, there’s lots of different kinds of coconut oil, so sometimes it’s hard to understand exactly what you’re getting.

When you walk through the aisles of a grocery store and scan the shelves reviewing each brand of coconut oil, every jar will have slightly different descriptions on the labels. Some brands have chosen to highlight the fact that the oil inside is unrefined, sometimes that it is a superfood, or perhaps that it is cold pressed. Some are organic and some are not.

There is one big difference between the types of coconut oils, and this one you will see over and over again on the labels: whether are the oil is “virgin” or not. Unrefined oil is typically called out using the word “virgin” to mean “the grade of coconut oil that is not refined”.

More interestingly, within this particular description, you may notice that some coconut oils are described as extra virgin and some are described as just virgin coconut oil. So what’s the difference between these grades?

Is extra virgin coconut oil better than virgin coconut oil?

The American Heart Association recently released a report advising against the use of coconut oil. 

In recent years, you've probably seen a rise in the popularity of coconut oil. It's been increasingly espoused as the "miracle oil" and used in more and more natural products (e.g., these chips cooked in coconut oil).

But there's still been a heated debate around the true health of coconut oil, with those in each pro and con camp fighting fervently for their sides.

To finally shut down this debate, the American Heart Association reviewed studies and research making an official recommendation on June 15th, 2017. 

Unrefined Coconut Oil is one of the top selling oils in manufacturing and on retail shelves today. It’s been a rising star only over the last couple of years, but it’s in the height of it’s popularity right now.

That said, people often run into a lot of confusion when it comes to buying coconut oil — which one is right for what you’re looking for? Which one will fit the products that you’re making, or the cooking that you’re doing?

Unrefined coconut oil is a top choice in quality and nutrition, so if you’re cooking at home I highly recommend it. That said, there are still some pros and cons when you’re thinking about using this oil for manufacturing — you have to really decide if it’s the right fit for your product.

How is Organic Virgin Coconut Oil different than Refined Coconut Oil?

These two types of coconut oil are actually quite different, and it’s important to know the exact differences before choosing one over the other. Depending on what you’re using the oil for, you’ll usually find that one will fit your purposes much better than the other. 

If you walk down the oil aisle of any grocery store, you are bound to find a plethora of different coconut oils – it's one of the most popular oils in today's natural food market.

If you walk down the oil aisle of any grocery store, you are bound to find a plethora of different coconut oils – it's one of the most popular oils in today's food market.

After being demonized in the 80s and 90s, scientists are now debunking the myth that it is unhealthy. Fans of coconut oil (especially in the snack food industry) are rejoicing this drastic shift in health and perception.

A common question that we get from food manufacturers who are choosing coconut oil as an ingredient is, which kind of coconut oil should we choose? There are multiple types, or grades, of coconut oil — just like olive oil. And it’s important to choose the right grade of coconut oil to meet both your product attribute needs and functionality. 

Coconut Oil is now considered one of the best super-foods by some of today’s healthiest nutritionists, scientists and chefs.

It’s loved because of it’s health benefits — lowering cholesterol, supporting aging and those who are affected by Alzheimers, helping folks lose weight and simply supporting healthy body functioning. (Source)

Prior to now, this oil had a bad rap for years.

The demand for coconuts has skyrocketed in the last few years. Coconut everything can be found in the natural food market. Coconut oil, coconut sugar, coconut water. Not to mention just plain old coconuts!

At the same time, coconut producers are having a hard time keeping up. Supply on coconuts has also gone down slowly over time, which as a matter of simple economics, has driven prices up. If you are using coconut oil in your production — or even thinking about using it — here’s what you need to know.