New solution to preserve fresh coconuts

Fresh coconut fruit drink water can be preserved from 4 to 6 weeks but still retain the natural quality - this is the solution Research Institute of oil and oil plants (District 1, HCMC ) has done research successfully, opening up the prospect of fresh coconut exports.

The Research Institute for Oil and Oil Plants has surveyed and discovered sodium metabisulfite - a chemical that is allowed to be used in food processing - can be used to treat the surface of coconut shells (coconut peels off the crust out). Survey study shows that with a suitable dose and time of treatment, sodium metabisulfite exists only outside the coconut shell, both acts as a whitening agent and destroys microorganisms outside coconut shells. . Because the chemical does not penetrate the inside, the rice and coconut water keep nature.

After being treated with sodium metabisulfite, the coconut will continue to be covered with a covering film (specialized in preserving fruits) and preserved at about 5 degrees C. With this treatment, the coconut will keep the fresh level (the color outside the coconut is still white, not browning) in 4 - 6 weeks.

Currently in our country there are some solutions to preserve fresh coconuts such as 'fast deep cold method' (at minus 35 to 40 degrees Celsius, and preserve at minus 18 degrees Celsius), this solution meets love demand to preserve fresh coconut for export, but limited to high price and coconut no longer fresh but frozen. Another solution is to 'pump the preservative directly into the coconut', the limitation of this solution is to change the quality of the inside of the coconut (the presence of chemicals in coconut water). With the direction of the Institute of Oil and Oil Plants Research, the limitations of the two solutions have been overcome.

According to the Oil and Oil Tree Research Institute, it has been tested this solution for some shipments sent to Korea (shipping by sea). The initial results showed very positive results: after 4 weeks, when coming to Korea, coconut fruit is still in a fresh condition. This success can open the direction to export fresh coconut juice to Korea, Japan and Europe markets .