GUIDELINES TO EXPORT OF JELLY NUTS FROM SRI LANKA

King Coconut commonly known as Jelly Nut belongs to the semi tall variety aurantica within the species Cocos nucifera, and is indigenous to Sri Lanka. King Coconut water is a popular natural beverage in Sri Lanka, and there is a growing demands for king coconut nuts from several countries as a nutritious health drink.

Mineral composition (ppm) Potassium Calcium Magnesium Sodium Posphorus Iron Copper 290 44 10 42 9.2 106 26
Source: Satyavate Krishnankutty The island 26th Dec 2001

Small amount of Vitamins (C&B) as well as amino acids (mainly arginine and glutamine) are also present in the king coconut water.

Health Benefits of king coconut water

King coconut water is the natural isotonic beverage with almost the same level of electrolyte balance as we have in our blood. It is the Fluid of life says Mr. Morton Satin, chief of FAO Agricultural and post Harvest Management Service. The pleasant taste of nut water is attributed mainly to the sugars and mineral components that are present. A change in these parameters occurs with the stage of maturity and duration after harvesting. The ideal stage for harvesting king coconut for drinking is at 78 months from pollination. At this stage, the nut water has the maximum concentration of invert sugars (glucose and fructose), low concentration of sucrose, optimum levels of mineral and vitamins and a neutral pH. Nutritive Value At the age of 7-8 months after pollination a king coconut water content the following nutrition values. Sugar type Glucose Fructose Sucrose Total sugar 5-6gr /100ml (95%-97% of this is invert sugar) (g per 100ml) 2.0-3.0 2.0-3.0 0.1-0.3 Good for feeding infants suffering from intestinal disturbances Oral rehydration drink Contains growth-promoting properties. Keeps the body cool. A natural coolant for hot climate. Application on the body prevents prickly heat and summer boils Excellent ionic tonic for the old and the sick. Diuretic (a substance which tends to increase flow of urine) clean the system Can be injected intravenously as an alternative when other pyrogen free fluids are not available for emergency Can be used as a blood plasma substitute because it is sterile, pyrogen free and does not produce heat and does not destroy blood cells. Aids the quick absorption of drugs and make their peak concentration in the blood easier by its electrolyte effect. Urinary antiseptic and eliminates harmful substances in case of minerals poisoning. Methodology for Export Packaging

King coconut is popular substitute for aerated drink is a ready marketable natural drink in local & overseas. In order to promote an optimum quality product for health concern consumers and as a thirst quench natural product, it is necessary to practice better post harvest handling method. In view of this Sri Lanka has developed a methodology to extent the shelf life & enable exporters to carryout competitive marketing through low cost transport of king coconut. As our main objective is to cater quality product to the local & export market, the external appearance of the nuts before harvesting is of utmost importance. Therefore, it is important to select king coconuts that are free of insect and mechanical damages. Furthermore, in nut obtained from king coconut palms grown adjacent to water bodies, the volume of nut water could be higher and the concentration of sugars could be lower compared to normal nuts. Therefore, the taste of nut water is tested before collecting for export.

2.

Pick and transport the bunches to the pack house on the same day with extreme care to minimize mechanical damages. Use large crates with cushioning material will control the occurrence & mechanical damage.

The following steps (3-10) should be done within 24-36 hours after picking: 3. Separate the nuts from bunches as close as possible to the pedicel end (blunt end) of the nut using a sharp stainless steel knife disinfected with 1%chlorine water. Bruising of nuts or crushing of the stalk should be avoided. Poor hanthing at this stage may cause early spoilage.

In order to meet the export market requirement of whole nuts, the taste of nut water and external appearance of the fresh nut have to be maintained for a minimum duration of 3-4 weeks. The following protocol, has been developed by the Coconut Research Institute, Sri Lanka in collaboration with Sri Lanka Export Development Board to improve shelf life of king coconuts for a period of 28 days, and is recommended to the growers and exporters. The methodology is proven with commercial export shipments to distance destination such as Korea, UK, and Gulf. 1. Select 7-8 months old king coconuts. If the leaf canopy of king coconut palm is numbered according to the stage of maturity, and if the flag leaf is considered for counting as a number1, the 7-8 months old bunch is attached to the axis of frond number 14. I t is recommended to establish a monitoring system with select producer clusters to maintain regular supply of quality product.

4. Using a piece of
cotton cloth, or paper tissue, disinfect the cut edge of the stalk, perianth (floral part or theriya) and the outer skin with a diluted fungicide solution (0.5g Benomyl/ one litre water) 5. 6. Allow the nuts to dry in a shady open area for few minutes. Wrap the whole nut with polypropylene cling film (food Wrapping film). It is advisable to wrap in such a way that the film is stick to the outer skin of the nut.

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A piece of cellotape may be used to paste the edges of the film. This should be done very carefully to avoid air spaces in between cling film and the nut which would lead to discolouration and shrinking of the skin.

Product is free from micro organisms Remaining husk is biodegradable.

Opening the nut Traditional method

Use a sharp knife to cut the husk from stalk end (4-5cm away from the tip) to slightly expose the shell and cut open a small hole in the exposed portion of the shell

8. Cover each nut with a net (Polymer Net) to avoid mechanical damage during packaging, Storage & transport etc. 9. Pack 6-8 nuts, turning the stalk end (pedicel end) of the nut upwards, in a 7ply corrugated carton with 6 vents.(Telescopic type cartons are commonly used )

10. Immediately after packaging load the

packed cartons to a reefer container that is pre cooled and maintained at a temperature of 13 15 for transport. The humidity should be kept around 70%. 10. The temperature and humidity should be maintained throughout the voyage. If the nuts are continuously stored at 13-15 the shelf life would be 28-30 days from the date of packing. Under normal atmospheric conditions where temperature is 25-27 C the shelf life of king coconut would be only 4-7days.

Punching Tool

Each fruit is a labeled with following information Date of picking Date of Expiry Nutritional composition of king coconut water

husk, is a fibrous tissue and biodegradable. It can be cut into small pieces/chips and used as a potting or gardening media for planting purposes.

Extract nut water using a straw.

More information pleases contact: M.Z.M. Farhad Agri-business Advisor, ACDI/VOCA Colombo 08,Sri Lanka TEL011-4899165, 0094714243226 E-mail rinzafa@gmail.com Coconut Research Institute Lunuwila, 61150 Sri Lanka TEL +94 31 2257419, +94 060231993 +94 060231993 Fax 031-2257391 Web www.cri.lk

Disposal of the husks

The remaining part of the used nut, mainly the