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Sri Lankan officials have disclosed a significant gap in quality certification within the country's coconut oil sector, revealing that only one of the 167 producers registered with the Coconut Development Authority has obtained the Sri Lanka Standards Institution (SLS) specification certification for coconut oil.
Ayesha Salwatura, Deputy Director of the Goods Certification Division at the Sri Lanka Standards Institution, confirmed the figure during a televised interview. She noted that coconut oil falls under the SLS 32 specification standard, but emphasized that the SLS mark is not currently mandatory for coconut oil products. As a result, obtaining standards certification remains voluntary for producers in the sector.
Salwatura also outlined the institution's broader role in food safety oversight, explaining that the Sri Lanka Standards Institution is responsible for testing the standards of 52 categories of food imported into Sri Lanka, with coconut oil among them. She added that samples drawn from containers of imported coconut oil are tested by the institution, which then issues its recommendations accordingly.
Meanwhile, Coconut Development Authority Chairman Shantha Ranatunga acknowledged the gap, stating that coconut oil producers in the country are still 'not at a level suitable' for obtaining SLS standards certification.
The officials made their remarks while participating in the Big Focus programme on Derana TV.
Source: Sri Lanka Mirror