Mould on copra: signs, causes, and accept or reject
Mould on copra rarely arrives as a surprise. It has usually been there since the road, and only shows when the sacks are opened at the gate. This note covers what the receiving clerk records, why water is almost always part of the story, how published documents count mould, and how to decide between accept, hold and reject.
Mould on copra: what you can see and what you cannot
There are two checks. The first is by eye: is there mould, where, and how much. The second is in the laboratory: aflatoxin, a toxin that certain moulds can produce. Neither replaces the other. A lot with no visible mould can still be tested, and a clean laboratory result does not mean visible mould may be ignored.
On signs, the documents we read only mention colour. SMN Indonesia lists “green (mould)” as one defect category. The FAO feed-safety example mentions yellow-green mould. A musty smell and texture have no figure in any source we read, so record them as observations.
Where mould comes from: almost always water
The FAO example, which deals with copra meal for feed, says aflatoxin is not produced at 12 per cent moisture or lower under good storage. The text also links water activity above 0.82 with aflatoxin during drying. The 12 per cent figure is a feed-safety line, not a purchase limit for an oil mill.
The BAFS bulletin from the Philippines recommends drying copra to about 6 per cent. That is drying advice, not a quality limit. At the gate, water can come from elsewhere: a leaking truck bed, rain on the road, or a lot that waited too long in a damp store. So record moisture and vehicle condition beside any mould finding.
How published documents count mould
Each source uses a different measure. Watch the units.
| Source | What is measured | Figure |
|---|---|---|
| SNI (via JIPI 2022) | Mouldy part, % by weight | Max. 2 / 2 / 3 / 3 for A-I, A-II, B, C. |
| BAFS (Bulletin No. 09) | ARM (aflatoxin related mould), % | 0 / 10 / 20 for Grades 1, 2, 3. Aflatoxin 5 / 20 / 20 ppb. |
| PCA AO 02 s. 2003 | ARM, % | Above 20 % is rejected. |
| Kenyan draft DKS 2466:2018 | Mouldy pieces, % by weight | None / 5 / 10. Aflatoxin B1 “not found”. |
| SMN Indonesia | Green defect (mould), % | Max. 0. |
| FAO example | Yellow-green mould, % | Under 1 for Grade 1 in the example country. |
We read SNI from Yani et al., JIPI 27(3) 2022, not from the BSN document. The PCA rule came through a legal mirror, and the Kenyan text is a public review draft. All were read on 22 Oct 2026.
Three points to note. First, “mouldy part”, “ARM” and “mouldy pieces” are not necessarily the same thing. The definition and calculation of ARM must be read from the original document before it goes into a contract. Second, none of these tables says how mould is weighed or sorted out of the sample. Third, the table is not a ranking, and the rows are not equivalent. A wider comparison is in copra quality standards.
Accept, hold or reject
The frame has three steps, and the limits belong in the purchase terms, not here.
- Accept. Visible mould stays within the written limit, and the laboratory result, if requested, matches.
- Hold. There is visible mould in part of the load, or a laboratory result is pending. Separate the lot, do not blend it, and keep a retained sample.
- Reject. A result passes the agreed limit and the purchase terms name rejection.
What to record on unloading day: a photo of the load before it is opened, where the mould sits, the weight of the mouldy part sorted out of the sample, and the clerk’s name. Keep a “visible mould” column apart from the “aflatoxin result” column, as in copra receiving on unloading day. How to draw the sample is in the copra sample trail.
If you are discussing Kora copra
The Kora product page read on 22 Oct 2026 lists no mould limit and no aflatoxin data for either line. So ask for yourself when you request a quotation: the mould definition used, the method, and which quality documents exist. The listed figures are on the pages for lower-moisture copra (max 6 %) and smoke-dried copra. Your questions can go through the contact page.
Questions buyers ask
Which signs of mould on copra should be recorded at the receiving gate?
Record what you can see: colour (the documents we read mention green and yellow-green mould), where it sits in the load and roughly what share is mouldy, then photograph before the lot is opened. Note smell as an observation, because the sources we read give no figure for it.
Is mouldy copra safe to use?
We do not judge safety. Visible mould and aflatoxin are different checks, and the decision to use a lot depends on the laboratory result and the rules for the end product. A clean laboratory result does not excuse visible mould, and the reverse is also true.
What mould limit do standards set for copra?
The figures differ. The SNI table as quoted gives mouldy part at 2 to 3 per cent at most, BAFS gives ARM at 0, 10 and 20 per cent, and the Kenyan draft gives mouldy pieces at none, 5 and 10 per cent. Units and definitions differ, so write the definition into the purchase terms.
At what moisture does aflatoxin not form on copra?
An FAO feed-safety example says aflatoxin is not produced at 12 per cent moisture or lower under good storage. That figure is for feed safety, not a purchase limit for an oil mill, and it does not guarantee a lot is free of mould.