Recently, there has been a heated discussion on the Internet, and some netizens have caused discomfort because of drinking pre-opened coconut water. So topics such as "can you drink coconut water" and "who is not suitable for drinking coconut water" were on the hot search.
The so-called coconut water is the clear liquid poured out of the coconut after cutting it, which has a very light and light sweetness, and a unique natural flavor. Coconut water contains no fat, and the fat is all in the white coconut flesh.
The reason why coconut water is on the hot search this time is because it brings some trouble.
Netizens said,
I bought a coconut with a pre-opened mouth and drank a few sips of coconut water, only to find that the coconut water was a little cloudy. Then he felt the sky spinning, dizzy, and then nauseated and vomited. After vomiting better, I did not go to the hospital for treatment, but the next day I had a high fever ...
In fact, this is most likely caused by pathogenic bacteria in coconut water, or bacterial toxins.
Coconut water contains sugars, vitamins, and minerals that are suitable for rapid microbial reproduction. At the same time, coconut water, a "small fresh" type of juice, has a very low acidity, sugar and nutrients are directly dissolved in water instead of hiding in fruit cells, and the resistance to bacterial proliferation is too weak, weaker than orange juice, apple juice, tomato juice and other juices with a certain acidity and containing polyphenols, so you need to be careful.
Originally, the coconut shell was tightly sealed to protect the coconut meat and coconut water inside and avoid the entry of external microorganisms.
However, after pre-opening, the coconut loses its tightness and comes into contact with bacteria in the air, as well as bacteria on the tools of the opening. If the opening is stored at room temperature for a long time, bacteria multiply in large numbers, which may lead to bacterial food poisoning. Netizens found that the coconut water, which should be clear, was already a bit turbid, which was the visual result of bacterial reproduction.
This is exactly the same as egg soup, rice soup, noodle soup, etc. will spoil at room temperature.
Bacterial food poisoning may cause symptoms such as nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, weakness, dizziness, headache, and even chills and fever.
Due to the temporary weakness of the body after food poisoning, other harmful microorganisms in the body may take advantage of the weakness, and there will be inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, inflammation of the gums, etc., or as netizens said, the tonsils are making trouble again.
Some people say on the Internet that spoiled coconuts may produce Pseudomonas cocota, which produces the highly toxic rice fermentation acid toxin. Since no microbial culture of a coconut water sample was done in this case, it is impossible to tell which pathogenic bacteria or bacterial toxin caused the poisoning based on the symptoms described alone.
It can only be said that coconut water is carbohydrate-contained, and in an unsafe temperature environment, it can breed a variety of pathogenic bacteria and may also produce a variety of toxins.
In conclusion, coconut opened in advance is a food safety risk. It is better for consumers to buy whole coconuts directly, and ask the clerk or stall owner to open them at that time, which is safer. Refrigerate immediately after opening, and even if it is refrigerated, it is best to consume it on the same day. It's the same with eating coconut meat.
Some netizens asked:
There are packaged coconut water on the market, why can it be stored at room temperature?
100% of commercially available coconut water products are sterilized packaging. The bacteria inside have been killed, and the packaging outside is sealed, and microorganisms cannot enter, so it can be safely stored at room temperature for a long time before opening.
However, once opened, bacteria are able to enter, it is no longer safe and must be drunk as soon as possible.
So, what if the packaging of coconut water is too big to drink all at once? Then pour out a part of it and drink, and the rest of the box should be covered immediately and put back in the refrigerator to refrigerate. Never drink from mouth to bottle, it will cause serious bacterial contamination. Even if refrigerated, it cannot last long, and it is recommended to drink all within 24 hours.
Not only coconut water, but also other liquid foods such as milk, juice, drinks, etc., need to be refrigerated in time after opening. How long it can be stored in the cold room varies depending on the product characteristics and sterilization process.
In general, products with particularly high acidity have a slower microbial proliferation rate, such as lemon juice, cola, orange juice, etc., and refrigeration for 48 hours does not necessarily spoil or mold.
Drinks that are not highly acidic should in most cases be refrigerated for more than 24 hours.
Finally, by the way, who is the coconut water suitable for.
Coconut water doesn't contain too many of various vitamins, but it's particularly rich in potassium, which can go up to over 200 mg per 100 grams, while sodium is relatively low and there are small amounts of calcium and magnesium. At the same time, the sugar content is relatively low, only 3%~6%, which is likely to meet the standard of low-sugar drinks (the sugar content in 100 ml is less than 5 grams).
Because the osmotic pressure is not high and the sugar content is low, coconut water is a great hydrating drink. For northerners, compared with buying coconuts directly, it is more cost-effective to buy a large package of coconut water at the time of discount sales and drink it together with the whole family.
Because it is high in potassium and lower in sugar and calories, coconut water is more suitable for people with hyperuricemia and high blood pressure than other fruit juices. Coconut water is also a good thing for people who eat too much salt daily, or have too much meat, insufficient fruits and vegetables, and imbalance of potassium and sodium.
If you add a little salt and mix it with some water, coconut water can also be used as a sports drink. If you drink it directly, because potassium is high and sodium is low, it is not enough to compensate for the sodium loss after sweating.
However, people with kidney disease who need to limit potassium cannot drink a lot of coconut water.
Coconut water does not have the aroma of coconut meat, the aroma is in the fat. Make coconut meat into an emulsified state, mix it with coconut water, or add white water directly without coconut water, and add some sugar and emulsifier, which is what is called coconut milk in daily life.
All milky drinks undoubtedly contain fat. This is true for milk, soy milk, peanut milk, walnut milk, coconut milk. Milky white is the optical effect of fat emulsification. Therefore, milky coconut water drinks, or coconut milk products used to mix desserts and drinks, are much higher in calories than coconut water, and saturated fat accounts for about half of its fat. The aroma and taste are amazing, but in terms of the nutritional value of protein and vitamins, it is much lower than milk and soy milk.