The FU Demonstration Farm in Tandayag, Amlan and the Lolo’s Finest coconut plantation in Palanguyan, Tanjay City, have passed the audit conducted by Control Union, a Netherlands-based company.
A certification issued on July 22 signed by Chathura Weerasinghe of Control Union Certifications, certified the Lolo’s Finest Coco Sugar as having passed the organic regulations set by the US Department of Agriculture, the European Union, the Japan Agricultural Standards, and the National Organic Program.
As such, Lolo’s Finest Coco Sugar, which is sold at the FU Cafeteria, can be exported to other countries.
Engr. Mark Espedilla, point person in the accreditation process, said the process took almost six months, as certifiers had to come from other countries to observe our processes, and to get samples of the soil and finished products.
Coconut sugar has been reported by the Philipppine Coconut Authority to have a rating of 35 on the glycemic index. By that measure, coco sugar is classified as a “low glycemic index food”.
Coco sugar is considered a health product, which is recommended for people with diabetes, or those who are inclined to be diabetic, said Victor Vicente Sinco, vice president for finance & administration of Foundation University, who pushed for the production of coco sugar to wean the University Farm from sugar production.
Coco sugar has a high mineral content, being a rich source of potassium, magnesium, zinc, and iron. In addition, coco sugar contains Vitamin B1, B2, B3 and B6.
Compared to brown sugar, this coconut sugar has 18 times the potassium, 30 times the phosphorus, and over 10 times the amount of zinc, according to Wikipedia.
The large amounts of K and P can be explained by the way coconut sugar is tapped from the inflorescences (the flowerhead including the stems, stalks, flowers) of the tree.
The coconut sap, from which coconut sugar is derived, contains 16 amino acids, chief of which is glutamine, the Wikipedia article said.
