The government is adopting a Philippine National Standard (PNS) which will conform local virgin CNO to food safety standards of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)-recognized Codex Alimentarius.

Paulo P. Mamangun, Jr., president of the Virgin Coconut Oil Producers and Traders Association (VCOPTA), said in a public consultation Tuesday that the PNS for virgin CNO will raise the Philippines' product quality to international standards even as the country is the only one now working on a PNS particularly for this.

"We will be recognized as the best source of virgin coconut oil. Thailand and Singapore have set some standard, but it's bundled with other coconut oil. Ours is specified for virgin coconut oil," he said in an interview.

Mamangun said the PNS is important since the huge world export market for virgin CNO expects the health benefits from the product indicated to cure the deadly severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) that broke out in China two years ago.

He estimated that while Philippine export of virgin CNO by VCOPTA members as of 2003 was 120 metric tons (MT) and as of January to September 2004, 200 MT, the market in China alone is at some 100,000 MT yearly. For 2005, he said virgin CNO export may reach to 500 MT.

"The export market is huge. If you'll respond to the demand in China alone, one said it's 100,000 tons yearly. I don't know where he got it, but you have to remember that the production of virgin coconut oil was brought about by pronouncements that it can be a positive cure for SARS which started in China," he said.

Mamangun said prior to the SARS outbreak, the country has already been exporting virgin CNO.

"But that was very minuscule," he said.

He said Philippine virgin CNO producers have the capability to produce 200 to 250 MT monthly.

The PNS will classify the process for manufacturing virgin CNOwhether cold process, heat process, or centrifugal process.

"We recognize that the lower the heat that virgin coconut oil passed through, the better. What we'll do is implement a guideline, and there will be accreditation for each process. That will be indicated in the label," he said.

Virgin CNO is recognized to be antiviral, antifungal, and antibacterial because of its monolaurine content "which is a major component of mother's milk that enhances the immune system of infants."

Under the draft PNS, virgin CNO is defined as coming from fresh, mature kernel of coconut by mechanical or natural means, with or without the use of heat, without undergoing chemical refining, bleaching, deodorizing and does not lead to alteration of the nature of oil.