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I have a jar of coconut oil I've just been using for massage/lotion. I'm kind of confused because today I saw this black moldy blob in the bottom of the jar. Isn't coconut oil suppose to protect against mold growth, and oil in general? Also a strange thing is this oil is more in a melted state than my jar of artisana coconut oil (which i use for cooking)--ie right now it is completely melted but my artisana jar is still super solid. Is this a sign of contamination? :/ Thanks!

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Good question! I have one jar specifically for massage/lotion as well and I just noticed a few days ago that for some reason it has begun to smell like smoke, honestly like a fire had smouldered out and it's not been around anything that would cause it to absorb that smell. Very bizarre. I'd like to know the answer to this as well, if possible. – invisible ink Jul 27 2011 at 10:21
I was just about to ask this! My coconut oil had dark green swirls in it last night and I added some into my food before o tasted it.... I couldnt taste it in my food so I ate it anyway, I hope I'm okay! – Danielle Jul 27 2011 at 21:28

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Mold could happen if moisture was introduced into the jar, possibly by dipping out with moist hands. I separate out a small portion - about pill bottle size, or a small squeeze bottle if liquid, to handle.

Added: I suspect that the more unrefined coconut oils (that have some solids separating at the bottom) would be more subject to the growth of mold, but not sure. Those are certainly the tastier oils. Its the introduction of moisture and spores that would be critical. In addition to hands, it could be introduced by moist spoons, leaving container open or other means.

Most coconut oil melts at 76 degrees F, but coconut oils can have different melting points depending (I think) on extraction methods. The other possibility is that the rooms could be slightly different temperatures.

Added #2 "In humid countries, the sun-drying of oilseeds with a high moisture content, such as mature coconut, is slow and inefficient (e.g., copra). Such conditions promote mold growth, which could result in high free fatty acid levels and poor quality oils." http://www.nowfoods.com/M013397.htm So it could also be a problem with the oil quality if you don't believe there has been any contamination at your end.

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i see. yeah, i thought i should've put it in a smaller container during use...ah well. do you think it is still salvageable or should the whole thing be chucked? thanks! – xue Jul 28 2011 at 11:42
In general, mold is pretty bad, producing a range of toxins. I don't know in this case, but would be inclined personally to toss anything with mold. If you want to follow up and get real expert advice you can contact the mold section of the US EPA at epa.gov/mold/contactus.html – Karen Jul 28 2011 at 15:42
epa.gov/mold/contactus.html – Karen Jul 28 2011 at 15:43
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do oil used for frying patatos or anything could get fungus after it felt covered for a perid of 2 months?

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