In India, scientists found a way to keep coconut water tasting delicious for up to 18 weeks and increase its shelf life without any preservatives. By removing suspended debris using a nylon mesh and sterilization through a hollow Polyacrylonitrile fiber tube for an hour, scientists at the Indian Institute of Technology removed bacteria and other microbes from the coconut water, thereby increasing its shelf life. It was then stored in wax-sealed glass or polypropylene bottles in a refrigerator and tested every month for quality.
Sankha Karmakar from the Indian Institute of Technology’s Department of Chemical Engineering, told Outlook India, “independent experts – professors, PhD students and two kids – tasted treated coconut water. They were asked to score it on different counts such as appearance, texture, aroma, flavor, color and overall quality, besides purchase intention.” The results were good with clarity and taste being maintained for 18 weeks with the new method.