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By Judyvein Cheng, CPCN, BRNC
Certified pet nutritionist in Singapore
QUICK ANSWER
Many coconut oils sold as "virgin", "pure" or "natural" aren't what the label says. Some are blended with cheaper oils, some are made from old, dried coconuts, and some have been heated during processing. If you're giving coconut oil to help with a health issue, a poor-quality oil won't give you the benefits you're paying for, and it may even do more harm than good.
Food fraud is more common than you think
Olive oil is the best-known example. In 2010, researchers at the University of California, Davis tested imported "extra-virgin" olive oils sold in stores, and 69% failed to meet the extra-virgin standard. Some were oxidised, some were mixed with lower-grade olive oil, and some were diluted with cheaper oils like canola or sunflower.
As coconut oil has become more popular, the same thing has happened. More demand brings pressure to sell it cheaper, and good-quality virgin coconut oil gets harder to find.
Virgin vs refined (RBD) coconut oil
Virgin coconut oil
Made from fresh coconut meat and processed naturally. It keeps its coconut smell and taste, along with more of its nutrients.
RBD (refined, bleached, deodorised)
Usually made from dried coconut (copra). It's chemically processed to remove impurities, which also strips out the smell, taste and many of the beneficial compounds.
What goes wrong with low-quality coconut oil
✓ Blended with cheaper oils like vegetable or palm oil
✓ Mixed with RBD oil but still labelled "virgin"
✓ Made from old or poor-quality coconuts
✓ Not properly filtered, leaving more moisture behind, so it spoils faster
✓ Heated at some stage, even when the label says "cold-pressed"
Lauric acid levels also vary a lot between brands, from under 40% to over 50%. Lauric acid is behind many of coconut oil's antimicrobial benefits, so this matters. I explain more in the lauric acid debate.
What to look for
Glass, not plastic. Plastic can leach into oil over time. A good-quality virgin coconut oil comes in glass.
Smell and taste. Real virgin coconut oil smells fresh and mildly sweet, like coconut. A burnt or roasted smell means heat was used. A waxy smell with barely any coconut aroma suggests it's been mixed with RBD or vegetable oil. (What pet parents tell me about CocoTherapy's smell.)
Truly cold-pressed. Some oils are labelled "cold-pressed" but use heat at an earlier stage of processing. Look for a brand that's open about its whole process.
Organic, virgin AND therapeutic grade. Not every organic, cold-pressed virgin coconut oil is therapeutic grade.
Be wary of very cheap oil. Making real virgin coconut oil is slow and yields less oil. If the price seems too good to be true, it usually is.
FROM MY EXPERIENCE
Before one of our retailers switched to CocoTherapy, she carried another organic coconut oil brand. She once told me she'd been using it at home and kept it on her kitchen counter with the lid closed tightly, yet it attracted a lot of ants. I was shocked. When I got home, I checked my own CocoTherapy coconut oil, which also sits on my kitchen counter. There wasn't a single ant.
I can't say for sure why that happened. Ants can be drawn to fats, and to any oil left on the outside of a jar. But it made me realise how differently two "organic virgin coconut oils" can behave, even when they're stored the same way. If something about your oil seems off, it's worth asking the manufacturer about it. A brand that's proud of its process should be happy to answer.
Even labels like "organic", "raw" or "extra-virgin" don't guarantee quality on their own. The best thing you can do is buy from a brand that grows and processes its own coconuts and is open about how it's made. More on that in why coconut sourcing matters.
The coconut oil I recommend
I recommend CocoTherapy Organic Virgin Coconut Oil. It's therapeutic grade, cold-pressed below 46°C (115°F) and comes in glass. It's made from organic, non-GMO coconuts that are tree-ripened for 12 months on CocoTherapy's own family farm in the Philippines. CocoTherapy says it contains at least 64% beneficial medium-chain fatty acids. It's also human-grade, so the whole family can share it.
Frequently asked questions
Is refined (RBD) coconut oil safe for pets?
It isn't toxic, but most of the benefits you'd give coconut oil for are processed out. For pets, choose an organic, cold-pressed, virgin and therapeutic-grade oil.
Why is my coconut oil liquid?
Coconut oil melts at around 24°C, so in Singapore it's often liquid at room temperature. That's normal and doesn't affect its quality.
Does "organic" mean it's good quality?
Organic tells you how the coconuts were grown, not how fresh they were or how the oil was processed. It's a good start, but not enough on its own.
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This article is for educational purposes and isn't a substitute for veterinary care. If you're concerned about your pet's health, please seek professional advice.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Judyvein Cheng, CPCN, BRNC
Judyvein is a Certified Professional Canine Nutritionist and Certified Raw Nutrition Coach for Cats & Dogs, and the founder of JOOF Holistic Pet. Her journey began with her Frenchie, Wangcai, and today she helps pet parents in Singapore take a root-cause approach to their pets' health.
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