Quality Control and Quality Assurance Division

Assisting the industry in the implementation of quality control work programmes and ensuring the quality of coconut products manufactured and exported from Sri Lanka. To accomplish this responsibility, the Authority maintains a Central Quality Control Laboratory (CQCL) with trained staff to carry out analysis on all major coconut products. Testing of samples are carried out throughout the week while processing of samples preparatory to testing take place.

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• Pre-shipment Microbiological and Physico chemical Testing of Coconut Products.
  • Microbiological Tests
    • Desiccated Coconut / Low Fat Dessicated Coconut (PDGC)
      • Salmonella, Total Plate Count, Total Coliform Count, Feacal Coliform Count, E.coli Count, Staphylococus Count, Yeast and Mould Count, Enterobacteriaceae Count
    • Copra
      • Salmonella, Total Plate Count, Yeast and Mould Count, Total Coliform Count, E.coli Count
    • Coco Peat
      • Salmonella, E.coli Count
  • Physico-Chemical Tests
    • Desiccated Coconut / Low Fat Dessicated Coconut (PDGC)
      • Moisture, Oil Content, FFA of extracted oil, Grading, Residual S0₂, Taste and Smell, Colour, Other Particles, Specs
    • Copra
      • Moisture, Oil Content, FFA of extracted oil, Colour of extracted oil, S0₂, Impurities
    • Coconut oil
      • Moisture, Colour, Flavour, Refractive Index, Insoluble impurities, Density, FFA, Iodine value, Saponification value, Unsaponifiable matter, Mineral Acidity, Peroxide value, Fatty Acid Composition by GC
    • Poonac
      • Moisture, Oil Content, FFA of extracted oil, Iodine value of extracted oil.
    • Coconut Fibre
      • Moisture, Tensile strength, Thickness, Elongation, Impurities, Average Length, Fineness
    • Coco Peat
      • Dimension, Moisture, Water retention, pH, Electrical Conductivity, Bulk density
• Microbiological, physical and chemical testing for process/ product improvement and provision of technical services to industry, factory visits, investigations, and resources contributions
  • Central Quality Control Laboratory's activities are supplemented by a mobile laboratory which visits Desiccated Coconut processing units once a month to check and monitor working conditions and in-plant quality control measures implemented in processing units. During these visits water samples are drawn from Desiccated Coconut (DC) mills and analyzed to maintain quality of the water used in processing of DC.
    DC samples are drawn from the production line of DC mills and analyzed for Total Plate Count and for E.coli in order to check the hygienic conditions maintained at the factories.
• Maintenance of Testing Services for Coconut Products
  • Physico-chemical and microbiological analysis of coconut based products were also carried out on request in this division with a view to assist processors to improve the quality of their products.
    These tests includes microbiological and physico chemical tests given for coconut products.
• Water Analysis
  • Microbiological Tests
    • Salmonella, E-Coli, Coliform, Total Plate Count
  • Physico-chemical Tests
    • pH, Colour, Residual chlorine, chloride, sulphate, phosphate and Heavy metals using AAS
• Training Programmes
  • Training of lab technicians of coconut processing units for the tests given above and the training of quality control activities at processing units
• Fatty Acid Composition of Coconut Oil and other Vegetable Oils using Gas Chromatography.
• Testing of water samples for the following heavy metals on quantitative basis
• Copper
• Chromium
• Cadmium
• Zinc
• Lead
• Arsenic
• Manganese
• Aluminum
• General
  • The CDA laboratory has launched a programme to ensure quality Coconut oil free of adulteration.

Telephone

94-11-2369801
94-11-2368984
94-11-2502502 (hot line)
94-11-2502503 upto 4
94-11-2368284 upto 5
94-11-2368982 upto 3

Fax

94-11-2508729