Copra quality standards seminar slated this month

Coconut farmers and traders from the provinces of Central and Western Visayas are convening May 22-23 for a seminar on "Copra" quality improvement.

Philippine Coconut Authority 7 regional manager Deodiro Ravelo said that coconut farmers from Regions 7 and 8 will be in Cebu to learn the latest on copra quality standards.

Just very recently, Ravelo said Europe had set a new standard that requires a lesser aflatoxin content on copra meal exports.

He said the farmers and coconut traders will be also informed on the latest development done to the Aflatoxin and Microbiological Laboratories in relation to the new European requirement.

The laboratory is currently undergoing refinements and upgrading for the attainment of the ISO standardization (ISO/EC17025:x) through the European Union-Trade Related Technical Assistance.

Included in the upgrading is the capability to reduce aflatoxin content, which is now only a maximum of 20 ppb on copra meal export.

For coconut oil, the maximum allowable limit for Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) or free fatty acids is 5 ppb for Heavy PAH and 25 ppb for combine Heavy and Light PAH.

The PCA Laboratories examine samples of coconut products for export for aflatoxin and microbial contents as requisites for issuance of export clearance.

The upcoming seminar is part of the Copra Quality Improvement Project (CQIP) under the EU-TRTA program.

The whole program include distribution of kukum dryers, farmer's training on copra processing, processor's training on Good Manufacturing Practice and Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point Management (GMP-HACCP) and strict regulatory intervention on the processing and trading of copra and it's end products.