Formaldehyde Coconuts

[gymboxgirl]

I've often heard it said, especially in the US, that most of the young, baby coconuts exported from Thailand are smothered in formaldehyde, pesticides, herbicides and other nasties, to keep them 'fresh'.

I wondered if anyone knew for sure if the coconuts we get here in LOS are closer to organic or if they too are sprayed to death with chemicals.

http://www.basilandspice.com/journal/matt-...d-formalde.html

[GungaDin]

You have the difinitive answer in your link.

I think that you're shit-stirring.

[gymboxgirl]

You have the definitive answer in your link.

A website can be made up, by anyone, for any purpose. You think that just becasue I found a website saying that I have a 'definitive answer' - you trust the internet so easily GD!!! How about if I posted a webpage saying the opposite (of which there are many on the web) what would you have said about me then???

I think that you're shit-stirring.

I've told other people on this forum to get a life... but I think you've just taken the biscuit GD. What a pathetic response to a genuine question. You can sit at your computer and type rubbish because it's anonymous. would you say that to my face if I asked you in conversation??? (God hope I never have a conversation with you, that's all I can say!) Go back to your bar stool and drink your Chang and please stop with your 'thinking'.

If anyone IN Thailand if they can tell me if they know coconuts are or are not sprayed, Id really appreciate it. Please, no more inane stupid comments like that one.

Thanks.

Edited October 20, 2008 by gymboxgirl

[toybits]

Best way around this is to grow your own coconuts, bananas, kale, cabbage, pork and chicken. Then make your own ham and salami. Then you can be sure that it is not contaminated.

I've often heard it said, especially in the US, that most of the young, baby coconuts exported from Thailand are smothered in formaldehyde, pesticides, herbicides and other nasties, to keep them 'fresh'.

I wondered if anyone knew for sure if the coconuts we get here in LOS are closer to organic or if they too are sprayed to death with chemicals.

http://www.basilandspice.com/journal/matt-...d-formalde.html

[Payboy]

If anyone IN Thailand if they can tell me if they know coconuts are or are not sprayed, Id really appreciate it.

some probably are... and some probably are not...

Please, no more inane stupid comments like that one.

...oops!

[Cuban]

Define coconut?

I wondered if anyone knew for sure if the coconuts we get here in LOS are closer to organic or if they too are sprayed to death with chemicals.

The coconuts I bought at Tesco yesterday at 9 Baht a pop were part-shaved, the green skin removed leaving a simple pentagon in profile which is really an object with three surfaces formed from a circle(base) joined with an obtuse angled edge to a collar (sides) and cone (top). These shaved nuts were covred with a thin plastic film, I assume to pevent moisture loss and discoloration while in transit from the factory to the store and while on the shelf. Because turn over is high they do not sit on the shelf a long time I doubt there is any cause to treat them with anything after the green outer layer is removed.

The burnt (?) coconuts that clearly show burn marks on their almost smooth rounded shells with the outer layers of cocunut skin and fiber removed I would expect are heat sterilized so might not require any chemical treatment.

Raw straight from the tree coconuts shipped as is with green skin and fiber layers intact might 'require' some type of chemical spray to kills bugs that might otherwise be carried along with the load internationally. Shipping the husk layers and green skin seems a waste of shipping costs, but this does account for higher costs of selling an exotic luxury item half way round the world.

LOS are closer to organic or if they too are sprayed to death with chemicals.

I think there are different questions here, if the tree is farmed in an organic way or if the fruit once harvested is treated in some way?

My guess follows the comment in the post, some will some won't. Unless marketed (truthfully) as organic once it's left the tree and passed through the wholesaler it might have been treated at some point.

But if you are worried you should wash everything with hot water and some vinegar as contamination can occur at any stage.

[Payboy]

These shaved nuts were covred with a thin plastic film

[Gary A]

I have no idea about coconuts for export, but I can assure you that as off the tree and sold in the local markets, nothing has been done.

[Soutpeel]

These shaved nuts were covred with a thin plastic film

Taking safe sex to the extreme ??

[toybits]

Shaved and unshaved cocos?

Usually after shaving, you apply aftershave to keep the cocos happy and white. This aftershave prevents the creamy white shaved coco from turning brown.

The aftershave is actually an anti-oxidant. You can keep the shaved coco in a ref for days.

[bonobo]

Not coconuts, but a friend of mine was in the flower business, and he said that almost all of the flowers sold on the street to hang in your car have been treated with formaldehyde. If they treat flowers that way, I would certainly not be surprised to find out they treat coconuts that way, too.

[Soutpeel]

Not coconuts, but a friend of mine was in the flower business, and he said that almost all of the flowers sold on the street to hang in your car have been treated with formaldehyde. If they treat flowers that way, I would certainly not be surprised to find out they treat coconuts that way, too.

Yeah.....but how many people do you see eating the flowers they sell on the streets...

[bonobo]

Not coconuts, but a friend of mine was in the flower business, and he said that almost all of the flowers sold on the street to hang in your car have been treated with formaldehyde. If they treat flowers that way, I would certainly not be surprised to find out they treat coconuts that way, too.

Yeah.....but how many people do you see eating the flowers they sell on the streets...

Sticking them in an enclosed car is just about as bad, I would say.

[toybits]

Aldehydes are added to beer to prolong their shelf life. Should we stop drinking beer? They also put salt peter in your ham and bacon. Should we also stop eating that?

Sticking them in an enclosed car is just about as bad, I would say.

[tutsiwarrior]

at SF State in the early 70s they tore down the student union and were building another one. In themeantime the only food that you could get was sold out of little trailer like structures and was dreadful...the sandwiches distinctly smelled of formaldahyde...

someone said, when I got back home to Oakland...'have you eaten?' I replied 'formaldahyde sammich...' It helped to gain the affection of mothering type women...

[sbk]

So, are you talking about coconut in the shell? or husked and grated already?

I, too, am unsure why the sensationalistic title when the source you choose to quote says not.

[toybits]

If a diluted solution of formaldehyde was sprayed onto freshly shaved cocos, I don't think it would be translocated into the coco-meat and the liquid endosperm (the coco water). So these types of cocos must be safe to eat. Unless the formadehyde was injected right into the coconut.

I've often heard it said, especially in the US, that most of the young, baby coconuts exported from Thailand are smothered in formaldehyde, pesticides, herbicides and other nasties, to keep them 'fresh'.

I wondered if anyone knew for sure if the coconuts we get here in LOS are closer to organic or if they too are sprayed to death with chemicals.

http://www.basilandspice.com/journal/matt-...d-formalde.html

[Soutpeel]

Aldehydes are added to beer to prolong their shelf life. Should we stop drinking beer? They also put salt peter in your ham and bacon. Should we also stop eating that?

Take some charcoal tablets, a bit of sulphur....and a lighted match.....Boom...death by bacon...