If you've spent any time evaluating coconut oil suppliers, you've likely seen "FFA" quoted as a quality figure — often something like "below 0.5 FFA." Here's what that actually means and why it matters.
What FFA Actually Measures
Free Fatty Acid (FFA) content measures how much of the oil's fat has broken down into free fatty acids rather than remaining as intact triglycerides. This breakdown happens naturally over time, accelerated by heat, moisture, and poor handling of the raw coconut or copra before pressing.
FFA is expressed as a percentage. A lower number generally indicates fresher raw material and better handling through the production process — from harvest, through copra drying, to oil extraction.
Why Buyers Care
Higher FFA oil tends to have a shorter shelf life, a stronger and less pleasant odour, and lower stability when reused for frying. For food manufacturers and HORECA buyers, low FFA is a practical, checkable quality marker rather than a marketing claim — it can be tested in a lab and confirmed on a Certificate of Analysis.
Typical Ranges
| Below 0.5% | Considered good quality for edible use |
|---|---|
| 0.5% – 2% | Acceptable for many industrial or lower-grade applications |
| Above 2% | Generally considered lower grade, often destined for non-edible use |
These ranges are general industry reference points, not a claim about any specific supplier's certification or testing regime.