Copra produced from the dried meat of coconuts, either by sun-drying or using drying machines like smoke-drying or indirect heating.
Copra commonly used as a raw material in the cooking oil and fat industry. In the coconut oil and fat industry, the quality of copra determines the quality of the final coconut oil and fats produced. The quality of copra is largely determined by the drying process.
There are generally two types of copra: black copra and white copra. Black copra is typically used as raw material for coconut oil. The coconut meat is separated from the shell and then dried until it turns black through sun-drying or smoke-drying. Drying to produce black copra takes around 5-7 days or longer (depending on weather conditions) at an average temperature of <60⁰C.
White copra has lower moisture content (5-6%) compared to black copra, making it less prone to fungal attacks and giving it a whiter and cleaner appearance. The main equipment used to produce white copra is an oven or drying machine. When processed into coconut oil, white copra yields very clear and high-quality coconut oil. Apart from cooking oil, coconut oil derived from white copra is used in making margarine, cosmetics, perfumes, soaps, moisturizers, ice cream, pharmaceuticals, and various other industrial products.
Image Source: https://www.rappler.com/tachyon/2023/08/shutterstock-copra.jpg
