Tender Advertisement #1041032

Chottu Coconut Products Company, which is located in western Guadalcanal, was the subject of a value chain study for the domestic oil industry in the Solomon Islands. The launch of the Value Chain report was conducted at this location and a number of processing factors were examined in detail. Throughout the industry, there is a fundamental misunderstanding of the factors relating to the production of high quality oil production. Smallholder farmers and producers commonly face cash flow problems with returns for effort rarely meeting acceptable levels. Habitually, cut copra is heated using direct heating devices in which the cut slices are heated directly with waste wood - often husks and tree trimmings. In an effort to accelerate the rate of drying and thus hasten the generation of income coconuts are often subjected to excessive direct heat. Excessive heat will cause a number of chemical changes to take place within all biological materials including coconut The designs of copra dryers are ubiquitous in copra production areas and do not lend themselves to fine controls. Among effects of excessive heat is the browning of sugars commonly known as caramellisation. Additional heat-generated compounds (amadori group of compounds) will also cause development of off-flavours. These compounds carry over into the final product resulting in discolouration and substandard aromas. Smoke is also a frequent contaminant in dryers that are improperly sealed or if the dryer is sited without accounting for prevailing wind. At the same time chemical changes occur in the oil itself resulting in the liberation of free fatty acids which are prone to oxidation and hence rancidity.