Improving fermented virgin coconut oil quality by using microwave heating

The study aimed to improve the quality of fermented virgin coconut oil (FVCO) under microwave heating. The FVCO was collected from a local farmer in Aceh Besar District. A microwave oven at frequency of 2,450MHz and power of 800Wwas used to heat 40ml FVCO in a ceramic bowl by the variation heating time i.e. 40, 50, and 60s. The parameters observed were temperature, moisture content, free fatty acid (FFA), and peroxide value. Results showed that the quality of FVCO did not meet the quality standards such as Codex Alimentarius, Asian and Pacific Coconut Community (APCC), and the Indonesian National Standard (SNI). However, the study found that the microwave heating time had influenced the FVCO temperature significantly where the final temperature had reached 71- 87 degrees C. However, there were no significant influences of microwave heating time to the moisture, FFA, and peroxide value of FVCO. It could be caused by the short time used in this experiment; therefore, it is suggested to extend the heating time for further study.