04 Jul 9 Coconut Water Brands You May Want to Skip

Coconut water is one of the purest, most hydrating beverages nature has to offer. It’s a low-calorie drink, rich in nutrients and an excellent alternative to sugary sports drinks. However, with its growing popularity, not all coconut water brands provide the same level of quality. Some brands might not meet the high standards you expect.

Harmful chemicals and processing methods can ruin coconut water’s natural benefits and even make it toxic. That means that not all coconut waters on the shelf are created equal. If you want to experience the healing, hydrating and energising powers of coconut water, you need to get it in its most pristine state. Reputable coconut water manufacturers won’t be afraid to give you all the facts about their production, going all the way back to the source. Here are some of the things to look out for.

Sneaky ways coconut water brands are cutting corners

1. Using Mature Coconut Water

Green is literally better when it comes to coconut water. Waiting for the coconut to ripen doesn’t make the water more nutrient-rich as you may think, as the nutrients from the water seep into the coconut flesh as it ages. Older coconuts are better for making coconut milk and coconut flesh products. Older coconuts are cheaper for the manufacturer to buy so it’s a tempting way to save money. The older water also begins to lose its fresh, nectar-like taste, so if you want that delectable flavour and the most nutrient-rich drink, make sure that your coconut water comes from nuts between 5 – 7 months old.

2. Using Coconut Concentrate

Some manufacturers heat the water up and then reduce it to syrup – a concentrate which can be ‘reconstituted’ by adding water. Importing this syrup is cheaper. The high heat used to reduce the water is very damaging to the nutrients and enzymes in the water, so not a good idea.

3. Pasteurisation

This delicate drink must be treated with loving care to preserve its brew of healthy nutrients, ideally kept as cool as possible. However, the quickest, cheapest, and easiest way to prevent it from denaturing is to heat it to high temperatures and pasteurise it to kill any possible bacteria.

4. Added Flavours & Sweeteners

If you are truly getting young, fresh coconuts, they taste delicate, sweet and so refreshing, but if a manufacture is using more acidic, older coconuts, or heated or concentrated water, they may add ‘natural’ flavours or sweeteners to enhance the taste. Once you have tasted the real thing, your discerning taste buds will definitely notice the difference.

5. Added Preservatives

Apart from preservatives listed on the bottle, many non-organic coconuts are preserved for transportation using chemicals such as formaldehyde or sodium metabisulphite. These chemicals are thought to be cancer forming so having them leech into your health cocktail doesn’t make sense at all.

Coconut Water Brands to Avoid

C2O: They use high heat pasteurisation of up to 120°C with the product in their cans and use steel and aluminum cans, both of which can leech into your water.

Coco Libre (Organic): If something is labelled organic, always look deeper. They use coconut water from concentrate, flash pasteurisation with heat and also add Natural flavours.

Cona Zona: The label says it’s made from concentrate.

Goya: They made major efforts to fight GMO labelling in California. Suspicious no? They use heat pasteurisation with added preservatives, including sugar.

Naked Juice Coconut Water: This is a Pepsico brand and they use water from mature coconuts, and flash pasteurise using heat. They have been sued for using synthetic substances and genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in their produce, as well as been caught out using deceptive labelling.

O.N.E. Coconut Water: Another Pepsico brand that uses flash pasteurisation with heat and their coconut waters contain natural flavours and added sugar.

Purity Organic: Another ‘organic’ labelled brand that doesn’t really live up to the concept. It uses concentrate and flash pasteurisation with heat.

Zico: This Coca-Cola company is a big GMO supporter. This coconut water is made from concentrate, pasteurised with high temperatures, and has natural flavours added.

Quite honestly, your best bet is to crack open a young green coconut straight from a tree and drink it au natural if you want to experience tropical magic as close the original as possible. However, us urbanites can enjoy the next best thing:

Coconut Water Brands You Can Trust

Raw C

Raw C’s approach is: crack, pack & send! They use the freshest coconuts, younger than 7 months old and don’t sneak anything like sugars, syrups, additives, concentrates and stabilisers into their water. They also make sure they use packaging that is BPA-free.

Kara

Free of artificial colours, flavours, and preservatives, Kara Coconut water ensures that you get the purest and most refreshing beverage. 

Vita Coco

Full of nutrients, electrolytes, and vitamins that give you a boost. Enjoy it after your workouts, make delicious smoothies or quench your thirst anytime.

Cocolicious

We love that Cocoliscious is made with vegan-friendly, high-quality ingredients free from gluten, artificial flavours and colours.