Source: Taiwan Straits Network
According to Xiamen Daily, this summer, coconut has become the new favorite of the beverage industry, from coffee to milk tea, many brands have launched new products with coconut elements, especially the series of drinks based on raw coconuts with labels such as "plant protein" and "health", and the popularity continues to rise. However, experts said that raw coconut is not the same as coconut juice and coconut gravy, consumers should distinguish between commercial propaganda and actual ingredient efficacy, pay attention to moderate consumption.
Refreshing and delicious in season Coconut has become a popular element in the beverage industry
Yesterday, the reporter visited major beverage stores and saw that many brand new products use coconut as the main raw material. Nesher's Tea recently launched three new raw coconut products. In the Chabaidao Xiamen Caitang Square store, the reporter saw that the store launched two products with raw coconut as the selling point. "A bottle of 1,000 ml of raw coconut ingredients can make three or four lattes, and our store has two or three hundred cups of orders in one morning."
Why is coconut a popular element in the summer beverage world? A number of beverage shop staff have cited the simple processing of coconuts, versatile taste and key health attributes as the main reasons.
"Coconuts have a sweet taste and are more recognized by the public." According to the staff of the beverage store, the coconut raw materials in the store come from Hainan, and compared with other fruits that are limited in the season, the supply of coconuts is stable and can be supplied in all seasons. In addition, coconut processing is relatively simple, and it can be combined with coffee, milk tea, etc. Summer fruit tea is more popular, with coconut as the raw material as the base, and the refreshing taste is welcomed by customers. At the same time, some coconut products have also been made into plant-based drinks with health labels, so they are favored.
Raw coconut is not the same as coconut water must be drunk in moderation
Among the coconut drinks, raw coconut series products have the highest attention, what is raw coconut? The reporter found on the e-commerce platform that one of the main raw materials used in many raw coconut series products is thick coconut milk, and its ingredient list shows that in addition to water, coconut gravy, coconut water, there is white sugar, sodium caseinate, sucrose fatty acid lipids, sodium bicarbonate and so on. It can be said that raw coconut is not equal to real coconut juice and coconut gravy.
Dr. Zhang Yan, School of Food and Biological Engineering, Jimei University, introduced that sodium caseinate is a commonly used food additive, which plays a thickening and emulsifying role in drinks, and can also increase the milk taste of drinks. Sucrose fatty acid ester is also a commonly used food emulsifier, which can stabilize the characteristics of drinks and increase the taste of drink fat.
Zhang Yan said that the formula ingredients of the product are natural ingredients of coconut or commonly used food additives and ingredients, and moderate drinking is harmless to the human body, but it is not a substitute for dairy products. "Coconut gravy and coconut water are less protein-rich, and their protein content, composition, and mineral content such as calcium are not as good as regular milk."
Zhang Kun finally reminded that when consumers choose raw coconut series products, they should pay attention to the ingredient list, distinguish the difference between the efficacy of commercial publicity and the efficacy of actual ingredients, try to choose low-sugar and low-fat drinks, and pay attention to whether they will have allergic reactions to the ingredients in the drink. In addition, good drinks must also be drunk in moderation. (Reporter Meng Jing)