The popularity of coconut oil has skyrocketed in recent years. It seems as though everyone is starting to realize what traditional South Pacific cultures with virtually no heart disease knew for centuries: coconut oil is one of the healthiest fats on the planet and is a boon to health when plentiful amounts are present in the diet.
Even Dr. Oz recommends coconut oil. When a TV medical doctor is extolling the virtues of coconut oil, you know it has well and truly gone mainstream!
The problem is that good quality virgin coconut oil is not particularly inexpensive. And with more and more budget conscious families demanding coconut oil, the big box wholesalers like Costco have been faced with a dilemma – how best to capitalize on the coconut oil frenzy while keeping the price dirt cheap.
I’ll admit that I’ve been suspicious of the big box wholesaler brands of coconut oil for quite awhile. The price just didn’t jive with the price I knew to be necessary to ensure a quality, pure product.
It seems that evidence is now emerging that my suspicions have been justified.
Mary M. messaged me on my Facebook page just yesterday complaining about the big jar of Costco coconut oil (picture above). She writes:
“I just opened and began using a big container of coconut oil (got it at Costco) that I’ve had for maybe 3 months and it has sat on my pantry shelf (outside in my garage, I live in Texas so it’s gotten hotter than 100 degrees).
It smells like burned marshmallows, or maybe the inside of a pumpkin on Halloween. Since I can’t find any web sites that describe the smell (other than “yucky” and “very, very bad”) for rancid coconut oil, could you please help me out? I can’t stand to put it on my face….but can I still cook with it?”
Absolutely not.
You don’t want to ever use, cook with, or put on your skin an oil that smells bad!
Mary’s email about her jar of Costco coconut oil raised two big red flags to me. First of all, I’ve been using coconut oil and virgin coconut oil for many years and I have never had it go off, even when kept for a year or two in my garage where the temperature easily reaches a 110-120F on humid August afternoons.
Coconut oil is an extremely stable oil and should never have gone bad such as what Mary M. experienced, provided it is pure, 100% coconut oil and it was filtered properly so that none of the coconut protein was left in the oil.
The second red flag about this Costco coconut oil was the wording of the label. There is no such thing as “extra virgin coconut oil”. It is either refined coconut oil or virgin coconut oil. A friend of mine who is the owner of a company that is a quality purveyor of virgin coconut oil had this to say:
“… any product that uses the term ‘extra virgin’ and it does not pertain to olive oil is using the term outside its definition… Trying to market something that does not exist.”
Does this mean use of the misleading term “extra virgin coconut oil” indicates an inferior product? Not necessarily. It is simply a red flag that further investigation to ensure a quality product is required particularly if the product is found on a shelf at Costco or other large retailer for a price that is too good to be true.
Why Inexpensive Costco Coconut Oil is Likely of Poor Quality
There are a couple of potential reasons why Mary M’s Costco coconut oil went bad.
First of all, it might not have been 100% pure coconut oil at all.
Not pure coconut oil? Not so far fetched. This is what the olive oil industry has been doing for years, blending cheaper oils with extra virgin olive oil and marketing it as pure extra virgin olive oil. Since the majority of the oil is indeed “pure” extra virgin, they get away with labeling it as such even though other cheaper usually rancid oils are present. However, what restaurants do is even worse. Most use “olive oil blends” for cooking that are actually 75% canola oil and only 25% olive oil. If you ask them what they use for cooking, most in my experience will simply respond “olive oil” even when this is not really true.
If Mary M’s Costco coconut oil had vegetable oils or cheaper hydrogenated palm oil blended in, even if organic and in small amounts, it would be prone to going off sitting in a hot pantry for a few months causing the entire jar to stink after awhile.
Another possibility is that the oil was improperly filtered and is inferior quality coconut oil subject to rancidity as a result. My friend mentioned earlier who is the owner of a company that sells quality virgin coconut oil had this to say when I asked him about Mary’s coconut oil problem and how it could possibly go rancid:
“The only thing I have seen is during the filtering process. If they run it too fast or do not change the filters, one can get pieces of coconut (protein) in the product. You will not see it other than with time you might see a slight change in color on the bottom of the container. And this product can culture at the bottom of the container and it will have a culture smell.”
Another friend who also owns a company that sells high quality virgin coconut oil had this to add:
“It is possible that it was not 100% Coconut Oil. However, I suspect that it was just very old oil and not fresh. Since there is so much demand for Coconut Oil, fresh lots will be sold for money and may not be available at discount stores.”
Was Mary’s Costco coconut oil cut with a small percentage of cheaper oils to boost manufacturer and/or coconut oil reseller profits, poorly filtered causing the coconut protein bits to “culture” the oil, or just old, manufacturer’s defect oil?
It’s anybody’s guess, but one thing is for sure. It was not fresh, high quality Grade A coconut oil. Good quality, pure coconut oil that has been properly filtered does not go bad in a hot 100F pantry even if in a plastic tub. Cheaply priced coconut oil at a discount store runs the risk of being old, improperly filtered (manufacturer’s defect) and not the best choice for your health.
Is it a high risk? Maybe, maybe not. There’s certainly not enough data to confirm one way or the other at this point. As for me, I’m personally not willing to trust a huge corporation to properly source my healthy fats – the fats that build my children’s brain and support their immune function.
The lesson to be learned from Mary’s experience from my perspective is that you get what you pay for whether it be coconut oil or any other food item. Buying coconut oil at Costco, Walmart or some other big box retailer that bases stocking decisions primarily on low price obtained via buying huge quantities at once is a big risk that what you get is going to be poor quality coconut oil that is either potentially blended with cheap oils or is a Grade B, poorly filtered product. Cheap oil that is subject to rancidity and loaded with free radicals risks your health.
It may look and smell fine when you open the jar, but the real test is does it stay looking and smelling fine in a hot pantry or garage after several months?
You can’t tell just by looking at it or tasting it that is 100% virgin coconut oil that has been properly filtered.
Just like with extra virgin olive oil, the only way to ensure a quality product is to buy from a quality small business, not a big box retailer like Costco that buys large amounts of inventory from manufacturers and dumps it on the consumer market at ultra cheap prices. While you may get a decent product for a cheap price some of the time, I personally am not willing to take the chance with my healthy fats – the most critical aspect of Traditional Diet – that it will be a quality purchase 100% of the time like what would happen if I bought from a small, trusted producer.
Anything can happen and frequently does as a food item makes its way through the Industrial Food Distribution System!
UPDATE: Since this article was published in June 2013, dozens of other consumers have emailed me with stories of rock bottom priced, poor quality coconut oil being purchased not just at Costco, but other Big Box retailers. Buyer beware!
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist
More Information
Coconut Oil May Not Be Right for You
MCT Oil: The Coconut Oil Dregs
Sarah:
Can’t you check with Carrington Farms just as you did with Radiant Life and get a confirmation or denial from Carrington Farms ?
There may be validity to what you say in this article, however, before you call out Costco perhaps it would be wise to check the facts.
I have been buying from Costco the Carrington Farms brand and although I have no complaints it does not mean the coconut oil is pure. It concerns me deeply to know Costco may be passing off adulterated coconut oil as a pure product.
I too would like to know for sure. So far there is no evidence just speculation. How can we find out for sure if it is being cut with vegetable oil????
UPDATE: I stated above that I contacted Carrington Farms about their product and even though it’s the weekend I received a prompt response. 🙂 I was sent a link to their FAQ sheet BUT in ADDITION they stated this to help answer questions…
“We are able to offer the price to Costco that you see due the economies of scale. They buy upwards to 60 truckloads of coconut oil per month so we are able to ship and manufacture economically. However, our same brand sells for a much higher price in a local health food store since it is much more expensive per jar to ship them a case of 6 then per jar on a truckload. In all our research there seems to be no difference between ‘Virgin’ and ‘Extra Virgin’. Our Canadian label says Virgin as that is the rule for labeling there, in the US we use Extra Virgin on the label. The coconut oil is the same. There are no other oils, or ANYTHING, added to our pure expeller cold pressed coconut oil. We use only raw fresh coconut meat taken from Organic coconuts and press it in the Philippines. “
thank you Christine! This is what the author of this blog should have done in the first place. I have re-posted your info on Facebook, as unfortunately this blog post is circulating incorrect information.
Appreciate the effort Christine. The response from Carrington Foods clears up the doubts about their product. But what of Costco’s reputation? Just wondering……
Just reading all these interesting posts. I am the CEO and Founder of Nutiva. We have been pioneering organic coconut oil since 2003 and today we are the #1 selling brand of organic coconut oil. I also personally visit our suppliers and meet with farmers in the PH on a regular basis. We have donated over 35,000 coconut seedlings to small farmers which in 5 years will boost production of coconuts and increase farmers income. It’s part of our 1% donation program to sustainable ag – we will surpass $2M on donations by 2014. Regarding all the questions. Their is no set standard for Coconut Oil. Like many firms we use the term Extra Virgin Coconut Oil. The quality of coconut oil is all over the map. We have long suspected some brands are blending oils. We have viewed such products and tasted them and it is obvious this is occuring. Suggest people find out more about the brand. Are they really just a reseller and have no relationship to the farmers or oil processors ? Sometimes you wll see some yellow or brown specs on the bottom of Coconut Oil. While it is not common, this is natural to coconut processing. It does harm the quality of the oil or flavor..
I am assuming that in the last sentence of what you wrote, you meant to say “It does *not* harm the quality of the oil or flavor”?
I buy the Nutiva Organic Coconut oil at Costco and am so happy it is available at such a reasonable price! I thank you profusely for offering it through costco to make such a wonderful, pure, and healthful product available to the masses at an affordable price. I have compared it to the other top brands of coconut oil that are sold online and find it to be the same quality, for much less cost. Thank you for working with Costco and making it available to the “every man”.
Bonnie, someone already did that:
http://www.evolvingwellness.com/essay/how-to-choose-a-coconut-oil-comparing-best-and-worst-brands
I bought the Costco coconut oil Carrington brand and thought when I opened it that it had a funny smell… I have been using Nutiva for a few years and just can not bring myself to use the one from Costco because of that smell. Glad to know I am not the only one. I wish I knew what the difference is because if they are using cheaper oils in the Carrington brand, it should be labeled” NOT 100% coconut oil. Doesn’t everyone agree? I am sick & tired of lying!
I worked for the largest coconut online retailer and have had a lot of experience with “burnt” smelling oils. The burnt smell is the result of over-heating and usually happens with refined oil, particularly expeller pressed. The company I worked for encouraged people to use the product, telling them that it did not affect the benefits of the oil. If the burnt smell was too strong, we sold it as animal supplement. The best hand processed coconut oil in the world has brown particles in the bottom of the container. This is what seeps through the filters and does not affect rancidity. Rancidity is usually the result of using a contaminated spoon to remove coconut oil from it’s container. Coconut oil stored in a cool room out of direct sunlight will last for many many years. We are currently using oil that is five years old and it is as good as it was the day it was processed. I totally agree that “extra” virgin is a marketing tool and has nothing to do with coconut oil.
Thank you, Bob Martin.
thanks. bob martin, would you say coconut oil practically never expires as long as it is kept clean and not subjected to boiling hot temperatures constantly? i’ve just always heard it never expires and i want to confirm that somehow before i buy extra for storage.
Another thought is that it has ben stored in a plastic container. Those chemicals could have leached in the high temps and also caused the weird smell.
I have purchased two and had no issue. My concern about telling people not to ever Purchase from a big box store makes eating better unrealistic for so many. Costco is carrying more and more whole foods, including many organic frozen vegetables, organic strawberries, non-gmo labeled products and more! I live in a big city and have to drive over 15 miles to get to any type if farmers market! I often keep my mouth shut when telling people how we eat because frankly it is hard. The nearest Whole Foods is selling Cheerios- trader Joes doesn’t label all their items, chickens being feed a vegetarian, soy and corn, diet isn’t good- so confusing ! My point – not everyone can be an expert on every detail – so lumping Costco in w Walmart is Wrong and leaves the need new foodie giving up short because of limited options and time on their part!
Writing a whole negative review over one woman named Mary’s bad experience seems, well, silly. Since I started using coconut oil from Costco and loving it, I knew it was only a matter of time before someone posted a review letting me know how inferior it was. After all, if my family can afford it, surely it is not good enough. Nothing I do will ever be enough for you people. Paying 10 dollars for a dozen cage free organic eggs? Not enough! Anyone who really loved their family, and didn’t want to give them cancer would have their own chickens. Buying organic produce? Psh. Did you research every grain you purchased? And why aren’t you growing your own? All of it? Everything? Cooking from scratch? Not good enough. I hope you aren’t using corn, or any corn product, (unless you know the farmer personally and have a sworn statement that he doesn’t use gmo seed.). What is the perfect world look like? Little house on the prairie? Where we are all farmers? At least be consistent and get off the Internet. Because when we all quit our jobs and raise our own cattle and convert our sinful lawns to farms, there will be no one to service your blog. Lastly, if you are going to encourage your readers to use their retirement funds to buy a 50 dollar jar of coconut oil instead of a 15 dollar one you should really have more of a reason then “Mary said.” Too many people take you seriously for you to regularly post such unsubstantiated “information.”
HI Lauren,
Thanks for saying what so many of us are feeling and thinking! Bravo! Love your post. Maybe you should start your own blog too. I hope so for all of us trying to live in the real world. 😉
Lauren, your post is exactly what I was thinking. I, too, cannot afford the expensive oils. I try to buy free range chicken eggs, pastured beef, and organic produce but, it’s sooo expensive. Costco’s Carrington Farms Coconut Oil price worked perfectly in my budget. I have been using this coconut oil for some time now without any problems. There is no mention that anyone contacted Carrington Farms with their concerns. That should have been done before this article was written.
I completely agree.
Agree!!! 100%
UPDATE: I stated above that I contacted Carrington Farms about their product and even though it’s the weekend I received a prompt response. 🙂 I was sent a link to their FAQ sheet BUT in ADDITION they stated this to help answer questions…
“We are able to offer the price to Costco that you see due the economies of scale. They buy upwards to 60 truckloads of coconut oil per month so we are able to ship and manufacture economically. However, our same brand sells for a much higher price in a local health food store since it is much more expensive per jar to ship them a case of 6 then per jar on a truckload. In all our research there seems to be no difference between ‘Virgin’ and ‘Extra Virgin’. Our Canadian label says Virgin as that is the rule for labeling there, in the US we use Extra Virgin on the label. The coconut oil is the same. There are no other oils, or ANYTHING, added to our pure expeller cold pressed coconut oil. We use only raw fresh coconut meat taken from Organic coconuts and press it in the Philippines. “
Thank you Christine for doing the footwork and contacting Carrington Farms and sharing their response with us all. It’s nice to have accurate information.
Thank you for finding that out. And thanks too, for the opinions expressed above. Normally, I like this blog, but not today!! I use Trader Joe’s CO and also the Carrington Farms. I like both and have never had any problems. Like the other responders, I am dismayed that one person’s bad experience leads to the condemnation of an entire brand of product, and chain of stores as well. As a family of 7, we have to work to eat well on the budget we have. We do the best we can.
I think that making an obsession of how high quality our “organic-ness” can go leads to a real paranoia about everything that passes our lips. Where does it end?? It’s an imperfect world. We have to do a good job and let God fill in the gaps.
I agree as well. I’m lucky to have some really good sources for eggs and beef, but it’s only through having been around and knowing where to look. I hope newbies to real food don’t find this article and take it 100% to heart. I remember being new to real food and thinking soy was good 🙁 (I ended up pitching all the cereals and canned foods when I ate soy.) Baby steps right? I remember buying good oils for the first time… $8 for a small jar of Spectrum Expellar-Pressed Coconut oil versus $3 for a HUGE bottle of vegetable oil. I think it’s great that Costco has jumped on the CO bandwagon. Exposure – get more people to think about their food. Even if the CO isn’t even close to “best of the best” is it not a start? And is it not better than a jug of veg, soy, or corn oil? I love your blog Sarah, but articles like this make us real-foodies sound like real snobs.
YES Kristin!!
I’ve been on this “learning to live the healthier lifestyle” journey for six years. It’s not something we can manage to do overnight. We all learn as we go along and we can only do as much as we can with the resources at our disposal. I’m slowly adding more and more garden space, slowly adding chickens, researching my family’s food like crazy. However – reality dictates that I have to work to pay for the land my many gardens and chickens live on. I need to work A LOT. I can’t just go and do most of my food shopping at the local health food store where a small glass jar of coconut oil is $20. It’s just not practical. We all do what we can.
I was so happy to see Costco selling coconut oil that I bought two jars just in case they didn’t have any more the next time I came back!
Completely agree Lauren!! My level of respect for this site just keeps dropping. I don’t have much left.
WOW, you just saved me writing the (almost) exact thing. Thanks! I knew a “Local Produced” farmer in the UK. Had a really good chicken business. Folks were amazed how he could consistently produce such huge “organic” chickens. I visited him to arrange a funeral and was chatting about the operation he owned. When asked about the mortality rate of the chickens he told me it was pretty high. So i asked him what he did with the dead ones? Turns out he ground them up mixed them with meal and “re-introduced them into the food chain” Nice tasting chickens though.
Thank-you Lauren.
Thank-you Lauren
Bravo, Lauren!
Thanks, Lauren.
Not to mention, the Costco oil comes in a plastic container. A good oil would be in a glass one.
Ha and what about consumers like Sarah who purchase coconut oil in bulk which guess what does not come in glass tubs but in plastic tubs.
Sarah, do you have an opinion about buying coconut oil in Bulk in those big plastic (sometimes says “inert plastic–whatever that means!”) containers???? Do we need to worry about chemicals leaching into the product, especially in high heats??? This would probably concern me more that a coconut oil that’s gone rancid, only because there are so many variables that could have been introduced to produce the rancidity (like a dirty spoon/utensils), etc. Your recommendations and reasons/research would be greatly appreciated!!!!
I think that is probably fine .. this is what I have done for years and have never had a problem. It does get very warm in the garage in the summerbut not hot enough to leech chemicals .. certainly not hot to the touch which would indeed be a worry. You can always transfer into glass jars when the bucket is delivered to you if you like to be extra careful.
This is definitely incorrect.
It is incorrect to assume only good quality comes in glass. (What I meant in other post.)
I have bought a couple of different brands of coconut oil and found that one brand I bought had no coconut taste or smell but another had a very distinct coconut flavour and smell. Should coconut oil taste and smell like coconut? (I know that’s probably a silly question but there it is!)
The oil that smells and tastes of coconut is virgin oil. The one with no smell or taste is probably expeller pressed. I use both, depending on what I’m using it for. They both have the healing, healthy qualities inherent in coconut oil.
Thank you Jen. I have both in my cupboard.
I am alos using the same large jar as pictured above, purchased recently from Costco (Canada). However, the label states “virgin coconut oil” There is no “extra” in the title at all.
This is because of labeling laws in Canada. I asked the company. It’s exactly the same as the one in the US.
I’ve tried probably 4 jars of coconut oil from Costco in 3 months. Sense its unrefined it has that strong flavor of coconut oil and i like it. I tried different kinds before not many but could not tell that much difference. Maybe Costco brand is not the best, but when it comes to choose cheap vegetable oil or expansive grass fed butter to cook with i would prefer use coconut oil for the price. For those large families who have food budget and try to eat clean its hard to be nitty gritty about every single thing and be able to afford. So in my case for those who think Costco coconut oil is not the best quality and those of you who strike for best and can afford it go for it.