Packaging Technologies
The bulky nature of the tender coconut and its tendency to Undergo biochemical changes and spoilage after harvesting are constraints in the popularisation and marketing of tender coconut in natural form in areas where coconut is not grown. Now Technologies are available for the processing of tender coconut water and matured water into packed soft drinks. The various technologies available in India are given below.

DFRL Technology:
Defence Food Research Laboratory (DFRL), Mysore under a sponsored project of the Coconut Development Board has developed a technology for packaging of tender coconut water. Under this technology tender coconut water can be packed in aluminum cans and retortable pouches. Since tender coconut water is highly susceptible to heating, it is subjected to minimum heating by the use of additives like nisin to achieve commercial sterility(Srivatsa and Sankaran, 1995). The shelf life of the product is 3 months under ambient condition and 6 months under refrigerated condition. The Board has transferred the technology to five entrepreneurs and one of them is already manufacturing and marketing it under the brand name “COCOJAL”.

FAO Technology:
FAO has patented a technology for bottling tender coconut water and marketing it as a sports drink. The new process developed by Mr.Morton Satin, Chief of FAO’s .griculture Industries and Post Harvest Management Service with the help of an Italian food technologist uses microfilteration technology in which the water is modified to approximate the vitamins and energy content of major sports
drinks. The UK has granted a patent to
the FAO on this technology. The FAO has also submitted the patent application to Patent Offices in Canada and Japan.

RRL Technology:
RRL, Thiruvanathapuram, Kerala has developed a process for the upgradation and preservation of mature coconut water. The main operations involve collection, upgradation, pasteurization, filtration and bottling. The process essentially consists of upgrading the flavor of mature coconut water to the level of tender coconut water by supplementation with additives including sugar and preserving it by a judicious combination of heat pasteurization and permitted chemicals. The drink can be carbonated and marketed as a beverage. Even though the technology was transferred to some entrepreneurs, the commercial production is still to be materialized. The Board has done the consumer acceptability study of the product in major cities and was found acceptable to the majority of the selected consumers.

German Technology:
Spray Evaporation Technique (SET) is adopted in this technology. It is a technology used for separating clear water from any liquid. It has got a variety of applications like extracting drinking water from sea water, removal of water from sewage and industrial waste water, preparation of fruit juice concentrate, concentration of ayurvedic and herbal medicine etc. The special advantage of fruit juice production by this technique is that the product retains all the original characteristics of juice such as retention of vitamins and enzymes, aroma, colour, taste, etc. which is not po in the conventional methods. The technique was developed and patented b Winter Umwelttechnik of Germany. The application of the technique for concentration of tender coconut water was first attempted by Miracle Food Processers
Internatiol Ltd (MFPIL) Perinthelmanna, Kerala in 1996. The concentrated tender coconut water has a shelf life varying from 6 months to 24 months depending upon the degree of concentration. Ten litres of tender coconut water is required to make about 800 g. of concentrated MFPIL is also marketing aerated and bottled ready — to — drink coconut water Beverage, which has comparatively short shelf life. Tender coconut ate concentrate is used in the manufacturing of the product.