View source for Copra

{{short description|Dried meat or kernel of the coconut}}
{{For|the superhero series ''Copra''|Michel Fiffe}}
{{Redirect|Kopra|the name|Kopra (surname)}}
{{For|the venomous snake|Cobra}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=September 2019}}
{{More citations needed|date=November 2012}}
[[File:Kerala coconut.jpg|thumb|right]]

'''Copra''' (from {{Indic |lang=ml |indic=കൊപ്ര |trans=Koppara/Kopra}}; {{Indic |lang=kn |indic=ಕೊಬ್ಬರಿ |trans=Kobbari }}; {{Indic |lang=te |indic=కొబ్బరి |trans=Kobbari }}; {{Indic |lang=ta |indic=கொப்பரை |trans=Kopparai }})   is the dried, white flesh of the [[coconut]] from which [[coconut oil]] is extracted.<ref>{{Cite book |editor-first=Eugene |editor-last=Ehrilch |title=Oxford American Dictionary |year=1982}}</ref> Traditionally, the coconuts are sun-dried, especially for export, before the oil, also known as copra oil, is pressed out. The oil extracted from copra is rich in [[lauric acid]], making it an important commodity in the preparation of [[lauryl alcohol]], soaps, fatty acids, cosmetics, etc. and thus a lucrative product for many coconut-producing countries. The palatable oil cake, known as copra cake, obtained as a residue in the production of copra oil is used in animal feeds. The ground cake is known as coconut or copra meal.<ref>{{Cite book |editor-first=Philip B. |editor-last=Gove |title=Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged |publisher=G. & C. Merriam |year=1961}}</ref>

==Production==
{{Nutritional value
| name=coconut meat, raw
 (fresh copra)
| water=47 
| kcal=354
| protein=3.33 g
| fat=33.49
| carbs=24.23 (not the same as source listed)
| sugars=6.23
| fiber=9
| iron_mg=2.43
| calcium_mg=14
| magnesium_mg=32
| phosphorus_mg=113
| potassium_mg=356
| zinc_mg=1.1
| pantothenic_mg=1.014
| vitB6_mg=0.05
| folate_mcg=26
| thiamin_mg=0.066
| riboflavin_mg=0.02
| niacin_mg=0.54
| VitE_mg=0.24
| vitC_mg=3.3
| vitK_mcg=0.2
| source_usda=1
| kJ=}}

Copra has traditionally been grated and ground, then boiled in water to extract [[coconut oil]]. It was used by Pacific island cultures and became a valuable commercial product for merchants in the [[Polynesia|South Seas]] and [[South Asia]] in the 1860s. Nowadays, coconut oil (70%) is extracted by crushing copra; the by-product is known as copra cake or copra meal (30%).

The coconut cake which remains after the oil is extracted is 18–25% [[protein (nutrient)|protein]], but contains so much [[dietary fiber]] it cannot be eaten in large quantities by humans. Instead, it is normally fed to [[ruminant]]s.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Grimwood |first1=BE |last2=Ashman |first2=F |last3=Dendy |first3=DAV |last4=Jarman |first4=CG |last5=Little |first5=ECS |last6=Timmins |first6=WH |year=1975 |title=Coconut Palm Products – Their processing in developing countries |location=Rome |publisher=FAO |page=193 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fY5hLeJ-WW4C&pg=PA193 |isbn=978-92-5-100853-9}}</ref>

[[File:LaDigueCopra3.jpg|thumb|right|Copra kiln drying in [[La Digue]] ([[Seychelles]])]]
[[File:LaDigueCopra1.jpg|thumb|right|Crushing copra in [[La Digue]] ([[Seychelles]])]]

The production of copra – removing the shell, breaking it up, drying – is usually done where the coconut palms grow. Copra can be made by smoke drying, [[Sun-drying|sun drying]], or [[kiln]] drying. Hybrid solar drying systems can also be used for a continuous drying process. In a hybrid solar drying system, solar energy is utilized during daylight and energy from burning [[Biomass (energy)|biomass]] is used when sunlight is not sufficient or during night time.<ref>{{cite web |title=Hybrid Solar Dryer for Copra |url=http://copra.co.id/copra.html |website=Copra Indonesia}}</ref> Sun drying requires little more than racks and sufficient sunlight. Halved nuts are drained of water, and left with the meat facing the sky; they can be washed to remove [[Mold (fungus)|mold]]-creating contaminants. After two days the meat can be removed from the shell with ease, and the drying process is complete after three to five more days (up to seven in total). Sun drying is often combined with kiln drying, eight hours of exposure to sunlight means the time spent in a kiln can be reduced by a day and the hot air the shells are exposed to in the kiln is more easily able to remove the remaining moisture. This process can also be done in reverse order: partially drying the copra in the kiln, and finishing the process with sunlight. Starting with sun drying requires careful inspection to avoid contamination with mold while starting with kiln-drying can harden the meat and prevent it from drying out completely in the sun.

In India, small but whole coconuts can be dried over the course of eight months to a year, and the meat inside removed and sold as a whole ball. Meat prepared in this fashion is sweet, soft, oily and is cream-coloured instead of being white. Coconut meat can be dried using direct heat and smoke from a fire, using simple racks to suspend the coconut over the fire. The smoke residue can help preserve the half-dried meat but the process overall suffers from unpredictable results and the risk of fires.<ref>Grimwood et al., 1975, p. [https://books.google.com/books?id=fY5hLeJ-WW4C&pg=PA49 49–56].</ref>

While there are some large [[plantation]]s with integrated operations, copra remains primarily a [[smallholder]] crop. In former years copra was collected by traders going from island to island and port to port in the [[Pacific Ocean]] but South Pacific production is now much diminished, with the exception of [[Copra plantations in New Guinea|Papua New Guinea]], the [[Solomon Islands]] and [[Vanuatu]].<ref name=Observatory/>

===Economics===
Copra production begins on coconut plantations. Coconut trees are generally spaced {{cvt|9|m|ft}} apart, allowing a density of 100–160 coconut trees per hectare. A standard tree bears around 50–80 nuts a year, and average earnings in Vanuatu (1999) were [[United States dollar|US$]]0.20 per kg (one kg equals 8 nuts)—so a farmer could earn approximately US$120 to US$320 yearly for each planted hectare. Copra has since more than doubled in price, and was quoted at US$540 per ton in the Philippines on a [[Incoterms#CIF .E2.80.93 Cost.2C Insurance .26 Freight .28named port of destination.29|CIF]] Rotterdam basis (US$0.54 per kg) by the ''[[Financial Times]]'' on 9 November 2012.

In 2017 the value of global exports of copra was $145-146 Million. The largest exporter was [[Papua New Guinea]] with 35% of the global total, followed by [[Indonesia]] (20%), [[Solomon Islands]] (13%) and [[Vanuatu]] (12%). The largest importer of copra is the [[Philippines]], which imports $93.4 Million or 64% of the global total.<ref name=Observatory>{{Cite web |url=https://oec.world/en/profile/hs92/1203/ |title=OEC: The Observatory of Economic Complexity |first1=AJG |last1=Simoes |first2=CA |last2=Hidalgo |website=oec.world |language=en |publisher=The Observatory of Economic Complexity |access-date=2019-12-17}}</ref> A very large number of small farmers and tree owners produce copra, which is a vital part of their income.

===Aflatoxin susceptibility===
Copra is highly susceptible to the growth of molds and their production of [[aflatoxin]]s if not dried properly. Aflatoxins can be highly toxic, and are among the most potent known natural [[carcinogen]]s, particularly affecting the liver.<ref name="LuiWu">{{cite journal |last1=Liu |first1=Yan |last2=Wu |first2=Felicia |title=Global Burden of Aflatoxin-Induced Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Risk Assessment |journal=Environmental Health Perspectives |date=June 2010 |volume=118 |issue=6 |pages=818–824 |doi=10.1289/ehp.0901388 |pmid=20172840 |pmc=2898859|bibcode=2010EnvHP.118..818L }}</ref> Aflatoxins in copra cake, fed to animals, can be passed on to [[milk]] or meat from livestock, leading to human illnesses.<ref name=Fratamicopm>{{cite book |last1=Fratamico |first1=Pina M. |last2=Bhunia |first2=Arun K. |last3=Smith |first3=James L. |name-list-style=vanc |title=Foodborne Pathogens: Microbiology and Molecular Biology |date=2008 |publisher=Horizon Scientific Press |location=Norofolk, UK |isbn=978-1-898486-52-7}}
</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Pradeepkiran |first1=Jangampalli Adi |name-list-style=vanc |title=Analysis of aflatoxin B1 in contaminated feed, media, and serum samples of Cyprinus carpio L. by high-performance liquid chromatography |journal=Food Quality and Safety |date=December 2018 |volume=2 |issue=4 |pages=199–204 |doi=10.1093/fqsafe/fyy013 |doi-access=free}}</ref>

==Animal feed==
Copra meal is used as [[fodder]] for horses and cattle. Its high oil and protein levels are fattening for stock.<ref>{{cite web |title=Cocos nucifera |publisher=Fao.org |url=http://www.fao.org/ag/aGa/agap/FRG/afris/Data/498.HTM |access-date=2012-11-28 |archive-date=14 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121014160517/http://www.fao.org/ag/aGa/agap/FRG/afris/Data/498.HTM |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=AFRIS – Animal feed Resources Information System |publisher=Fao.org |url=http://www.fao.org/ag/aGa/agap/FRG/afris/default.htm |access-date=2012-11-28 |archive-date=22 November 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121122063958/http://www.fao.org/ag/aga/agap/frg/afris/default.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> The protein in copra meal has been heat treated and provides a source of high-quality protein for cattle, sheep and deer, because it does not break down in the [[rumen]].

Coconut oil can be extracted using either mechanical expellers or solvents ([[hexane]]). Mechanically expelled copra meal is of higher feeding value, because it contains typically 8–12% oil, whereas the solvent-extracted copra meal contains only 2–4% oil. Premium quality copra meal can also contain 20–22% crude protein, and < 20ppb [[aflatoxin]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Nutrient Specs – Stance Equine |publisher=Stanceglobal.com.au |url=http://www.stanceglobal.com.au/Staging/Equine/DynamicPage.aspx?EntityId=103501 |access-date=2012-11-28 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706112106/http://www.stanceglobal.com.au/Staging/Equine/DynamicPage.aspx?EntityId=103501 |archive-date=2011-07-06}}</ref>

High-quality copra meal contains < 12% non-structural carbohydrate (NSC),<ref>[http://www.stanceglobal.com.au/Staging/Equine/DynamicPage.aspx?EntityId=104238] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091026042521/http://www.stanceglobal.com.au/Staging/Equine/DynamicPage.aspx?EntityId=104238|date=26 October 2009}}</ref> which makes it well suited for feeding to horses that are prone to [[ulcer]]s, [[insulin]] resistance, [[Horse colic|colic]], [[tying up]], and [[acidosis]].<ref>{{cite web |title=CoolStance Benefits – Stance Equine |publisher=Stanceglobal.com.au |url=http://www.stanceglobal.com.au/Staging/Equine/DynamicPage.aspx?EntityId=105260 |access-date=2012-11-28 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706112317/http://www.stanceglobal.com.au/Staging/Equine/DynamicPage.aspx?EntityId=105260 |archive-date=2011-07-06}}</ref>

==Shipment==
Copra has been classed with [[dangerous goods]] due to its [[spontaneously combustive]] nature.<ref>{{cite web |title=Copra |publisher=Tis-gdv.de |url=http://www.tis-gdv.de/tis_e/ware/oelsaat/kopra/kopra.htm#selbsterhitzung |access-date=2012-11-28}}</ref> It is identified as a [[HAZMAT Class 4 Flammable Solids|Division 4.2]] substance.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Copra}}
*[http://www.horsetalk.co.nz/news/2007/05/176.shtml Is Copra potentially a horse killer? – Horsetalk.co.nz] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070609180419/http://www.horsetalk.co.nz/news/2007/05/176.shtml |date=9 June 2007 }}
*[http://www.horsetalk.co.nz/news/2007/04/113.shtml Copra linked to cancer-causing agent] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071027120626/http://www.horsetalk.co.nz/news/2007/04/113.shtml |date=27 October 2007 }}
*[http://www.horsetalk.co.nz/news/2007/06/016.shtml Not all copra created equal] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070606083436/http://www.horsetalk.co.nz/news/2007/06/016.shtml |date=6 June 2007 }}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20051208231308/http://homepage.mac.com/mgnewman/CocoOil/CocoOil.html Making Coconut Oil – The Old Chamorro Way]
*[http://www.fao.org/docrep/005/y1390e/y1390e0l.htm AFLATOXIN CONTAMINATION IN FOODS AND FEEDS IN THE PHILIPPINES], in Manual on the application of the HACCP System in Mycotoxin prevention and ... , Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
*[http://www.fao.org/DOCREP/MEETING/006/AD729E/AD729E00.HTM AFLATOXIN CONTAMINATION IN FOODS AND FEEDS IN THE PHILIPPINES], Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
{{Authority control}}

{{Coconut}}

[[Category:Food ingredients]]
[[Category:Coconuts]]
[[Category:Energy crops]]
[[Category:Commodity markets in Kerala]]
[[Category:Cocossian cuisine]]