Truecoco Ghana Limited is the first VCO exporter from Ghana, offering a competitive, safe, organic and sustainable product. Mercadero represents Truecoco as their European agent since July 2019. Kindly contact us for information.
Summary
Truecoco Ghana Ltd is located in rural coastal Ghana and produces certified organic virgin coconut oil (VCO), coconut oil (CNO) and coconut flour. The company uses low temperature drying and cold press expelling of the fresh coconut meat. This is followed by a triple filtration process over a 4-day period to create a clear final product, in which all natural flavors are preserved. These methods give the product a consistent high quality that equals the best suppliers from Sri Lanka and the Philippines. The producer sources the coconuts from small organic farms and is the only certified organic coconut processor in West-Africa. Truecoco has organic certifications by the EU and the USDA. The company minimizes its impact on the environment by using an innovative coconut-husk-fueled dryer and lives up to the HACCP ISO 22000 standard on food safety. It is a major employer in this impoverished region and 60% of the labour force is female. Truecoco works with farmers to help them increase their yields whilst farming organically. Choosing Truecoco is choosing quality and sustainability with maximum social impact.
In short,
Truecoco is the first supplier from Ghana and West Africa that matches the quality of best VCO suppliers from Sri Lanka and Philippines
They got operational in 2017 with a new factory based on dry-process cold expeller – with excellent specs
They are EU and USDA organic certified and have HACCP and ISO22000 plan in place
Freddy Lydford is the director, who stands firmly for his quality. He brings experience from coconut plantations in Philippines and Ghana.
They invested in environmental sound operations with low carbon emissions – by making use of an innovative biomass burner fuelled on coconut shells to dry the copra
They provide double the social impact in Ghana, employing more people with bigger income gains, and of which 60% is female.
They can respond fast with short (18 days) shipping time to Europe
Who are we?
The team consists of six people with a hands-on mentality closely working together, which results in an active and well-producing business. The functions are a Managing Director, a Supply Manager, an Accounts & HR Manager, a Factory Manager, a Processing Manager and a Supply Supervisor. All these employees have specific and distinguishing knowledge on a part of the supply chain which makes them vital for the company.
Quality of the products
Truecoco’s products consistently pass strict quality control. Emerging issues such as MOSH MOAH and plasticizers are controlled as well. Truecoco Ghana is FDA and HACCP certified against the ISO22000 standard.
Production process of organic VCO
Truecoco Ghana Ltd works with local farmers who provide the raw, fresh coconuts to them. From there, Truecoco takes the raw and fresh coconuts and processes them within hours into virgin coconut oil. This process has been developed into a very efficient method. The fresh coconuts are processed using low temperature drying of the fresh coconut meat and cold press expelling to ensure the oil remains intact and natural. This process gives the oil a rich coconut aroma. Then, the extra virgin coconut oil is triple filtered to give a truly pure product with no sediments or impurities.
Certification
Truecoco Ghana is the only organically certified coconut producer in West-Africa. Organic certified virgin coconut oil has come from certified organic farms and certified organic processing faculties. This means that at no stage of the coconut’s growing and processing cycle has it been exposed to any chemicals or fertilizers. The virgin coconut oil is certified organic by Control Union for EU, USDA & JAS standards.
Packaging
We offer 3 main packaging options:
- IBC containers. Each container holds 920 kilogram and 20 fit into a 20 foot FCL.
- ISO tanks. Each tank can hold 23mt
- 200-kilogram open head drums. 40 containers will fit into a 20 FCL.
Truecoco Ghana prefers ISO tanks, as it reduces packaging waste and cost.
If you wish a different type of packaging, please enquire.
Truecoco Ghana guarantees that at the time of shipping, the oil will have at least an 18-month remaining shelf life.
Specification
Product specifications for VCO and CNO are available upon request.
Organic Coconut Flour
Truecoco Ghana works with fresh, raw coconuts supplied by local farmers. When Truecoco receives the coconuts, they are processed into coconut flour within hours. The meat of the coconuts is cold pressed and is not expressed to high heat. The flour is fluffy and finely ground. Nothing is added to the product, which makes it 100% natural.
The demand for organic coconut flower grows every day as consumers demand healthier alternatives to traditional flours.
Packaging
Coconut flour is packed in 25-kg woven sacks with a pallet weight of 1 ton. The woven sacks contain a PP food grade liner inside. Truecoco also provides our sacks in pounds (LB) weight and with a custom design if the buyer wishes to. 12mt of flour fit into a 20FCL.
Truecoco Ghana guarantees that at the time of shipment, the coconut flour will have at least a 4-month shell life.
Our community matters
Truecoco Ghana really cares about its employees. They are located in rural Ghana and are the biggest employer in the district. Truecoco beliefs that the only sustainable way out of poverty. They employ over 90 fulltime staff of which 60% is female. This way, women are given the same opportunity to perform in their work as men. By providing jobs, women are also considered part of a better future for Africa due to their ability to save and generally work harder than men. Because these women are employed with Truecoco, they have the means to be more independent.
Truecoco is also a member of and working with PSMP (Private Sector Malaria Prevention) project. The workers are trained and educated on how to reduce their exposure to malaria. Truecoco actively works with associated charities by providing data on our absentee rate due to malaria and offering our workers time off for training sessions.
The company works with their farmers to help them increase their yields whilst farming organically. Truecoco provides a constant market for their produce allowing them to think of farming as a viable business again.
Sustainability
Truecoco Ghana is very conscious about the environment as shown by several actions:
- Truecoco powers their processing plant with the biomass waste from the coconuts resulting in a very small environmental footprint.
- The company works directly with its farmers, ensuring a transparent and fair supply chain.
- It is the nearest organic coconut processor to Europe. This directly reduces the carbon footprint of shipping (“food miles”).
- Truecoco’s activities help achieving the Sustainable Development goals set by the United Nations that relate to business.
- Truecoco Ghana creates jobs in a rural part of Ghana where there used to be none. Jobs and work are the only sustainable way out of poverty.
- Truecoco gives women the same job opportunities as men, letting them be a part of a sustainable future.
- They received accreditations of the Environmental Protection Agency.
Here for you
A word from the Managing Director, Freddy Lydford:
“To be a supplier of yours I know we first need to solve a problem you might be having or to improve on the service you are currently receiving. Each business we deal with has a different requirement and I understand the importance of finding out your needs and offering suggestions where relevant and helpful that can add value to your business. Maybe after discussing your needs we might be able to offer a solution that can bring improvements to your business. Either way I believe the best way to answer these questions is through direct communication. The feedback we receive from our existing costumers is very positive. We are a personal company making sure you are always well informed and comfortable the whole time dealing with us.”
Contact us!
Contact our European agent Mercadero for more information and commercial enquiries.
And check out our website.