The Introduction of Coconut Structure and Coconut Products

Coconut is the member of palm tree, people say the whole coconut is a treasure, it is one of the most useful trees in the world. It provides food, drink, clothing and shelter, as well as income from its products. Coconut trunk can be used for making boats, furniture, The coconut husk(coir and shell) can be used for making fiber boards, textiles and active carbon, coconut copra(dry coconut kernel meat) can be made into coconut oil and coconut flesh(fresh coconut copra) can be made into coconut milk and cream, coconut water can be made into RTD water. One coconut takes about 9-12 months to mature and it weighs about 1.2-2kg. Generally the mature coconut includes 50% husk, 15% shell, 25% copra(meat) and 10% water.

Coconut is native to Southeast Asia, Indonesia to the Pacific Islands, and is mainly distributed between 23°S and 23°N in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. They grow the most equatorial coastal areas. The main producing areas are the Philippines, India, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, and other countries. Coconuts are evenly distributed at an average annual temperature of 26 to 27°C, and an annual rainfall of 1300 to 2300 mm. The annual sunlight is more than 2,000 hours, and the coastal area at an altitude of less than 50 meters is most suitable. It is a tropical light-loving crop that grows and develops well under the conditions of high temperature, rain, sufficient sunlight and sea breeze.

Natural Coconut water: Coconut water is a natural, fat-free drink, low in sugar and calories, rich in body essential electrolytes, vitamins and mineral matters. It is a very popular and healthy drink in modern society. The fresh coconut water after extraction, filtration and sterilizing, can be directly filled into small bottles or tin cans for consumption. The coconut water can also be made into concentrate state, Coconut waters made from concentrate flavor, appearance and nutritional content are the same as single-strength coconut water. And concentrated coconut water in aseptic bags have advantage of easy to transport and have a long shelf life(12 months in ambient temperature), so most of Southeast Asian countries made the fresh single strength coconut water into concentrated coconut water and filled into aseptic bags in bulk and export to Europe and America markets. Indonesia is the largest exporters for coconut water in the global, with the volume of exports amounting to 290K tons, which was near 52% of total exports in 2018.

The advantage of drinking coconut water

Containing cytokinin in coconut water can help fight aging and prevent skin relaxation; coconut water is rich in the minerals potassium, calcium, magnesium and sugar, is one of the natural sources of electrolyte, many studies also have confirmed that it is useful when used to treat dehydration, dysentery, cholera, diarrhea, and cold. On the other hand, coconut water is a natural diuretic and helps prevent urinary tract infections and reduce the risk of kidney stones; fresh coconut water is rich in a variety of macro and trace elements, has the effect of lowering blood fat and cholesterol, can prevent And the effect of controlling high blood pressure; after exercise, the body’s electrolytes, especially potassium and sodium, will be lost with sweat, and need to be replenished through water or other foods. The coconut water is cool and sweet, which not only can relieve thirst, but also relieve fatigue, supplement body fluids , physical recovery.

Coconut milk and cream: Coconut milk and cream are very popular in Southeast Asian and South Asia countries as the cooking ingredient, they usually pack the material into small tin cans and cartons and add into curries and desserts. Coconut milk and cream usually obtain from coconut kernel(there is little difference between cream and milk, Coconut cream is thicker than milk, the fat content is 30-40% in coconut cream and 17%-24% in coconut milk when producing coconut cream, there is no need to add water to dilute). Coconut milk contains vitamins, protein, glucose, various minerals and other nutrients, it has multiple effects such as supplementing nutrition, lowering blood fat, beauty and beauty, treating intestinal constipation, preventing various diseases, etc. Drinking coconut milk is of great benefit to our body.

Coconut milk beverage: coconut milk beverages (also called coconut juice drinks) are also fast becoming low-fat contenders of soya and almond milk products in the global. The raw materials are coconut milk, sugar and some other agents, then dilute with water to fat content 1%-2%, after sterilize, it can be filled into tin cans or cartons. China is the largest consumer of coconut milk beverages, and the most well-known brand is the YESHU brand.

Coconut oil: Coconut oil is extracted and separated from coconut kernel. One wet coconut kernel includes 30% coconut oil. Coconut oil production is divided into dry pressed virgin coconut oil (Dry VCO) and wet pressed virgin coconut oil (Wet VCO). Dry VCO suitable for small production and investment, whereas wet VCO is otherwise. Southeast Asia is the largest production area for VCO production. Coconut oil is rich in medium chain triacylglycerides (MCTs) and saturated fatty acids, studies have shown that regular consumption of coconut oil can enhance immunity, antioxidant, antibacterial, protect bones and hair care.