Have you ever wondered why coconut water is sometimes clear and sometimes pink? Those who’ve had the pleasure of drinking this naturally sweet, ultimate hydrating drink straight out of a freshly cut coconut probably noticed that the fluid inside was clear. It’s not surprising then, that at first blush, seeing a light pink cast to the liquid in a bottled, canned, or aseptic coconut water might give you pause. After all, when it comes to food and drink, pink is not always a good thing. In this case, however, that pink tinge is the result of a natural process and most likely indicates that a particular brand isn’t meddling with nature’s perfection any more than they have to.
Left untreated, coconut water undergoes a natural chemical reaction wherein naturally occurring antioxidants react to factors such as sunlight and oxygen, turning the fluid from clear to pink. Slice open a coconut yourself, pour the juice into a glass, and let it sit out for a few hours, and you’ll see the transformation for yourself. It’s not bacteria in your coconut water, and it hasn’t gone “off.”
While the pink may let you know there are less interventions at play, you should know that just because coconut water is clear, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s heavily processed. It may just have reached your local store shelves before it had the chance to change. The way to be sure is to always read the labels to ensure you know what you’re getting.
How pasturization affects coconut water color
Many coconut water purveyors extend the shelf life of their product by using pasteurization processes to reduce contaminants ,such as pathogens. Common methods are thermal pasteurization (which uses heat) and acidification (which uses acid to accomplish the same thing). Not only do these processes stop the natural antioxidant reaction that turns coconut water pink, but high heat-pasteurization also “destroys the natural microbial flora” and can “grossly alter the product’s sensory quality and change its nutritional contents,” per Science Direct.
Harmless Harvest (the most popular brand of commercially sold pink-hued coconut water) originally used high-pressure pasteurization but has since developed a micro-filtration process that allows them to preserve the naturally occurring nutrients in their coconut water. This helps retain its fresh-from-the-coconut flavor and keeps it safe from contaminants for the consumer. It also has the added benefit of extending its shelf life.
These are just some of the reasons Harmless Harvest consistently ranks high among the many other brands in the marketplace. In the end, this pinked coconut water has only one ingredient — coconut water. High in electrolytes (including potassium, calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium) coconut water is excellent for hydration. This makes it a solid replacement for other electrolyte-replenishing sports drinks like Gatorade and Powerade, which are loaded with sugar and artificial dyes. So, just remember when it comes to coconut water, if you see pink, you can rest assured that it’s okay to drink.
