The quality of the copra in a coconut used to make coconut oil varies. Therefore, it is important to distinguish between (unrefined) virgin coconut oil (VCO) from the refined, bleached and deodorized (RBD) coconut oil if you are interested in using it as an edible oil. VCO is the pure, unadulterated, form of the coconut oil. It is the healthiest form of coconut oil because it is made with the least possible processing from fresh coconut meat and with absolutely no chemicals. VCO is colourless, it has a mild coconut aroma, and a mild pleasant flavor. It retains most of the phytonutrients and chemical properties already mentioned. RBD coconut oil lacks most or all of these phytonutrients and is therefore of a lower quality than VCO.
The RBD coconut oil is a hydrogenated coconut oil. They are made from older MCT oil or coconut oil coconuts (damaged or undamaged). The dried copra is generally exposed to the sun before processing and gather an appreciable amount of bacteria and mold. It is refined and sterilized to remove much of the contaminants. Sometimes chemicals are used to extract the greatest amount of oil from the copra. As a result, much of the needed phytonutrients are removed. A less refined or lower grade RBD oil may have a slight yellow color because of the unremoved traces of contaminants. RBD coconut oil may have a mild musty or chemical taste. Poor quality oil or rancid coconut oil can irritate the throat