Coconuts were first introduced as an ingredient of confectionery products in the United Kingdom, during the late 1870's. To meet demand, shipments of coconuts were produced and supplied by Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), then an English colony, where there was an abundance of coconut palm trees. Handling and distribution of the raw material in the form of whole nuts posed a challenge however. Shipping halfway around the globe left the coconuts prone to spoilage.

Rising to the challenge in 1888, an enterprising Englishman named Henry Vavasseur conducted experiments on a tea leaf dryer with the objective of preserving the coconut meat for transport. Through his pioneering efforts, the drying, or desiccating process, and the resulting desiccated coconut was born.

The United States was a considerable market for Black V. When the US imposed a heavy tariff on coconut imports in 1909, Vavasseur embarked on a plan for continued presence in the US market.

The Philippines, then part of US territories in Asia, was exempted from these tariffs. Owing to its tropical climate, the Philippines also had a large coconut industry that could be developed and directed towards this market. Seizing the opportunity, the Vavasseurs established production facilities in the Philippines in 1923.

To distinguish itself from the desiccated coconut produced in Ceylon, the Philippine product was named RED V. Since that time, RED V production in the Philippines has expanded and modernized, making use of state-of-the-art technology in food processing. The RED V brand has earned the acceptance of all major industrial food manufacturers in Europe, Australia, Asia, and North America.

RED V the oldest name in coconut, assures high quality in its products and reliability in customer service, two of the most important requirements of industrial customers today.