Making refined bleached deodorized (RBD) coconut oil is a process that starts with the raw fruit or nut of the coconut palm tree and ends with a finished product that has few impurities, no odors, and is much lighter in color. The RBD process begins with the harvesting of mature coconuts from the tree. A skilled worker removes the husk from the nut without damaging any of the meat underneath. This is done by hand and requires some practice to master.
The next step of the refining process is to separate out any remaining fibrous material from the kernel or meat of the coconut. This can be done using a mechanical decorticator which mechanically shreds and separates out any remaining material that may be attached to the white portion of the nut. Once this is completed, it leaves behind pure white coconut kernels which are then ready for pressing.
Next, these kernels are pressed in an expeller press to extract oil from them. The extracted oil still contains particles, some water, proteins, vitamins and minerals as well as free fatty acids that give it a distinct smell and taste. In order to make this oil suitable for human consumption it needs to be further processed and refined into what we know as RBD Coconut Oil.
This last stage involves treating or ‘refining’ the crude coconut oil so it can become ‘food grade’ meaning it complies with certain standards set by government agencies or other institutions such as food companies who want to purchase safe products for their customers. This refining process usually includes degumming, neutralizing and bleaching either through heat or chemical processes such as sodium hydroxide treatment, steam distillation and vacuum fractionation.
The degumming step helps remove solid materials such as gums that bind together oils molecules making them less available for digestion by humans; neutralizing uses acids like phosphoric acid which react with fatty acids in order to reduce their content; while bleaching uses clay beds or charcoal filters that absorb pigments thus lightening its color from an off-white/yellowish color to more clear/white one often found in store shelves today. Finally, deodorization takes place in order to remove any unpleasant odors that may be present in crude oils due their exposure to oxygen; temperature and pressure are used during this stage so volatile compounds can evaporate leaving behind a bland odorless product ideal for cooking purposes or cosmetic formulation due its purity level and lack of smell/taste when compared with unrefined versions available on markets today.
Therefore after going through all stages described above RBD Coconut Oil becomes safe enough for human consumption while also allowing manufacturers to provide consumers with aesthetically pleasing products when compared with harsher looking raw forms readily available on supermarkets across world countries nowadays – making it one of most popular edible oils used around modern households today!