US clears coconut from allergen listing, rekindling India's export hopes

Vadakara: For the first time, coconut has been removed from the list of products causing severe food allergies in the US, bringing fresh hopes for India's coconut exports. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officially excluded coconut from the category of tree nuts in January, accepting a long-pending demand from coconut-producing countries, including India.

Until now, the FDA had classified coconut under the 'tree nut' category. However, coconut is technically a drupe — a fleshy fruit with a seed inside — and not a nut.

The decision is expected to remarkably improve export prospects. The term 'nut' in 'coconut' led to its erroneous classification as a tree nut, which caused the product to be listed among allergen-inducing foods. As per the US Food Allergen Labelling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA), all such products must carry an allergy warning on packaging, leading to confusion among consumers. This also resulted in the exclusion of coconut products from universities, hospitals and other institutions.

The intervention of the Coconut Coalition of America (CCA) and major Indian coconut exporters played a decisive role in correcting this misclassification.

Unlimited possibilities for coconut exports

The primary coconut product exported from India to the US is activated carbon (derived from coconut shells), accounting for up to 18 percent of total coconut product exports. However, the overall export of coconut-based food products is relatively low.

Desiccated coconut constitutes only 6 percent of the share, while other products account for even less. Last year, only 925 tonnes of coconut oil were exported to the US.