Nutiva® Introduces "in the Raw" centrifuged Coconut Oil and Coconut Chips

Online, March 10, 2010 (Newswire.com) - Santa Paula, Calif - The organic-food brand, Nutiva®, will be introducing a line of raw, certified-organic Coconut Oil and Coconut Chips at the March 11-14 Anaheim Natural Products Expo West, Booth 2223.

Nutiva's Hempseed, Hemp Oil, Hemp Protein, and certified-organic, extra-virgin Coconut Oil have made Nutiva® a leading global brand. The company's new Raw Coconut Oil offering is produced by an innovative low-temperature raw-centrifuge process, yielding delicious fresh oil that is packed in 15- , 29-, and 54-oz glass jars, as well as in bulk coconut oil sizes of 1- and 5-gallon pails and 54-gallon drums.

The new "Nutiva® in the Raw" product line also includes 8-oz and 3-pound bags of Coconut Chips. These raw, shredded coconut pieces-dried at a low temperature-are ideal for snacking, school lunch boxes, or adding to desserts and other recipes (even casseroles).

Nutiva® CEO and founder, John W. Roulac, commented, "Our customers have asked for the option of a minimally processed raw coconut oil packed in glass. Our latest centrifuged offering has a very light flavor and is less sweet than our current number-one-selling brand of Nutiva® Coconut Oil. It's ideal for both raw-food fans and those cooks who prefer a coconut oil that imparts less coconut flavor to foods." Early test feedback confirms that the new mild-flavored oil will have a broad range of culinary applications.

Nutiva's Coconut Oil, as well as its Coconut Chips, are from dried and shredded coconut, and are unique in that they are processed at temperatures under 118 degrees-meeting the standards of the increasingly popular raw-food movement. The new oil can be ordered on the Nutiva.com website starting March 15, and the Coconut Chips will be available for online orders as of May 15.

Four Ways That Coconut Is Processed to Produce Oil

The following explains four common coconut oil production methods, which can be summed up as follows:

#1: The Wet, Cold-Centrifuge Method - Nutiva's raw offering starts with fresh coconut milk, which is sent through a centrifuge machine that spins the milk to separate the oil from the protein, fiber, and water.

#2: Dry, Cold-Pressed Method - Nutiva® uses this form of processing for its original Coconut Oil products. Fresh coconut meat is ground and conveyed through a hot-air dryer, then cold-expeller pressed.

#3: The RBD Method - This process (not used by Nutiva®) refines, bleaches, and deodorizes the oil, yielding a bland, tasteless product.

#4: The Wet Village Scale Method - In this process (again, not used by Nutiva®), fresh coconut meat is made into milk and then stored for 10-24 hours, which creates a sour, fermented flavor.

Coconut, from a palm known as "The Tree of Life," contains medium-chain good fats and is one of the most nourishing foods in the world. Nutiva® has championed the mighty coconut since 2004, and welcomes the recent popularity of coconut water, coconut milk, coconut ice cream, and the many other good foods derived from the coconut kernel.