OIL FROM
COCOA REPLACES GROUNDNUT OIL
The
Osun State Ministry of Agriculture in South Western Nigeria, has
started the production of cocoa oil from cocoa seeds as an
alternative to groundnut and other edible oil.
The Deputy Governor of the State, Erelu Olusola Obada commended
the Ministry for the product, adding, however, that the product
was still awaiting approval from National Agency for Food, Drug,
Administration and Control, NAFDAC, for its sale and public
consumption.
Obada announced that once the government obtains approval, the
oil would be made available to people in rural and urban areas
of the state and beyond.
The Deputy Governor, who is also the Chairman of the National
Cocoa Development Committee, said the oil had gone through a
series of tests at the NAFDAC laboratory and said they were
expecting the final approval for the cocoa oil for public
consumption before June this year.
She said apart from being suitable for cooking, the oil also had
therapeutic properties due to the high level of anti-oxidants
present in cocoa, adding that it also served as an energizer as
well as having curative properties.
