If your business makes use of coconut products, particularly coconut oil – either you sell it as an individual product yourself or you use it as an additional ingredient for a wide range of other food products, such as snack bars and the like – then you need a good supplier for what you need. And whilst there may be many wholesale suppliers of coconut oil out there, which supplier should you choose? What would be your criteria for choosing the supplier with whom you would like to do business? Here’s how to choose the best supplier of coconut oil for your needs.

Understand the process

First of all, you should have some knowledge of the process of producing coconut oil. There are actually several kinds of coconut oil, and this includes virgin coconut oil, refined coconut oil, and organic virgin coconut oil. It is also worth noting that there are different methods of producing coconut oil, but the cold press process or method is a more popular method, particularly for the extraction of virgin coconut oil because there is no heat used and the oil’s important nutrients are retained. The cold press method also allows the oil to retain its antioxidant properties. Compared to the fresh dry method, where the coconut meat is dried first, the cold press method removes the coconut milk from the meat of the coconut without having to dry it. The oil is then extracted directly from the coconut milk with the use of a centrifuge. The resulting virgin coconut oil has the look of crystal clear water and has a mild, sweet taste and flavour along with a natural smell and aroma. The product also often has a shelf life of over two years.

Understand your chosen partner

It is also important to understand your partner – your wholesale coconut oil supplier – and learn about how their business functions. Where do they source their products? Are they familiar with how the product is produced? If you can, give your supplier a visit so that you can speak with them directly about what they can provide and how it is manufactured.

Test the product

Another surefire way to determine if your supplier can adequately provide you with what you need – according to your standards – is to test the product itself. Check the product and assess its appearance. Pure coconut oil will often be colourless as well as free from sediment, especially when it is in liquid form. If it is in solid form, the virgin coconut oil will have a pure white colour. Aside from assessing its appearance, you should also assess its smell. Real coconut oil will have a natural and fresh scent. Additionally, give the product a taste. The taste of the oil should be mild and somewhat sweet, with a real coconut taste.

Image attributed to Pixabay.com