Extracting coconut milk presents several technical, economic, and quality-related challenges. Mechanical pressing often leaves behind significant oil and solids in the by-product.
Electroporation disrupts the cell membranes in coconut meat, releasing more intracellular water, fat, and proteins.
The OptiCept PEF treatment significantly improves extraction efficiency and reduces waste from the press cake.
PEF preserves natural flavor, aroma, and nutrients (like lauric acid and vitamins) far better than heat-based extraction; furthermore PEF treatments usually take seconds to minutes, enabling faster throughput without compromising quality.
We tested coconut pieces (2×2 cm) as well as rasped coconut under a range of pressures—400 to 800 PSI—for short treatment times (6 to 10 minutes) at various blanching (80°C) times (5 to 15 minutes). Some samples were treated with our patented PEF technology, CEPT® (Controlled Environment Pulsed Electric Field Treatment), while others served as untreated controls.
CEPT®-treated coconuts consistently outperformed the control samples, where an increase in yield of up to 8% and 20% more oil was demonstrated. PEF treatment also facilitates a higher release of free oil from coconut flesh, enhancing extraction efficiency.
