Guest guest Posted May 15, 2006 Report Share Posted May 15, 2006 Here is some information on Thai coconuts from Karen Sussman's (LA/Orange counties) email list. I realize cocos may be treated with something else (natural or unnatural), but at least this clarifies things regarding the formaldehyde rumor. Jeff The Truth About Thai Coconuts and Formaldehyde. Are you one of those whose initial excitement in discovering Thai Coconuts was quickly replaced with fear when you heard the rumor that the sweet treat is soaked in formaldehyde before reaching the United States? I don’t know where it started nor can I remember when I first heard it but the rumor is certainly wide-spread. I have had dozens of friends and clients ask me about it in panicked phone calls or during my raw food preparation classes or visits to our café. Some fearful raw-fooders have completely removed Thai Coconuts from their diets in response to the rumor and there are even raw restaurants that have deleted them from their menus. In short, we have all allowed this rumor to spread based completely on hearsay and without any definitive proof. My wife Janabai and I love Thai Coconuts and weren’t willing to leave them out of our morning shakes or delete them from our café’s menu until we received definitive proof that they are in fact, treated with formaldehyde. Waiting for someone else to provide such proof was getting us nowhere. We decided to find the truth, not only for ourselves but also for our customers and for those spreading fear by way of a baseless rumor. We contacted Michelson Laboratories. Michelson is a fully accredited microbiology and chemical testing lab with over 70 highly trained specialists and technicians located in Commerce, California. Michelson was confident that after proper testing of a sample they could tell us definitively whether or not Thai Coconuts were treated with formaldehyde. We supplied Michelson with a sample from our regular stock of Thai Coconuts and waited patiently as the testing process began. As the weeks went on, Janabai and I decided that whatever the result, we would disseminate the information as widely as possible. We would either discontinue our use of Thai Coconuts and warn others or dispel the myth and continue to promote Thai Coconuts. On Thursday, May 11th we received the results from the lab. There was absolutely no indication whatsoever that the Thai Coconut sample provided to Michelson Laboratories was ever in contact with formaldehyde. We were excited. Not just because we could continue to enjoy Thai Coconuts but also because definitive proof had finally been obtained. A copy of the lab findings will be available at Euphoria Loves RAWvolution at 2301 Main Street in Santa Monica. It is my hope that in the future, our raw food communities will not fall prey to lies and made-up stories. These rumors divide rather than unite and spread fear rather than information. Please forward this text to anyone you feel may benefit from reading it. Peace, Matt Amsden, RAWvolution Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 15, 2006 Report Share Posted May 15, 2006 Thank you so much for the information. I love those coconuts and buy them from Central Market regularly. Helen >On Thursday, May 11th we received the results from the lab. > >There was absolutely no indication whatsoever that the Thai Coconut >sample provided to Michelson Laboratories was ever in contact with >formaldehyde. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 18, 2006 Report Share Posted May 18, 2006 Yay! - Thank you for checking on this - It makes me =) Helen <helensy wrote: Thank you so much for the information. I love those coconuts and buy them from Central Market regularly. Helen >On Thursday, May 11th we received the results from the lab. > >There was absolutely no indication whatsoever that the Thai Coconut >sample provided to Michelson Laboratories was ever in contact with >formaldehyde. > > Visit the Seattle Raw Foods Community: http://rawseattle.org Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 18, 2006 Report Share Posted May 18, 2006 I also did an experiment recently when the subject of young coconuts being treated with fungicides came up on our list. I wanted to see if whatever the exterior is exposed to would permeate through to the meat and water, so I bought some extra concentrated dark blue dye and dissolved it in approximately 2 gallons of tepid water. Into it I placed 3 young coconuts. I put rocks on top of them so they would stay submerged. I left one of them in for 90 seconds, one for 20 minutes and one for 90 minutes. After I removed them, I allowed them to dry naturally and didn't open them up until the following day. Not only did the dye not get into the cavity of the coconut, but it stained only a very thin part of the exterior. The husk was still pure white within about a millimeter of the surface. Regards, Nora www.RawSchool.com Yay! - Thank you for checking on this - It makes me =) Helen <helensy wrote: Thank you so much for the information. I love those coconuts and buy them from Central Market regularly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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