World's first certified organic coconut water

"We decided to focus our efforts on the most natural and freshest product possible, and we found an untapped niche in the coconut water sector worldwide," explained Carlos Amorós, general director of the Zaragoza-based company Genuine Coconut, in an interview with FreshPlaza. "Eventually, we found the formula that would allow us to differentiate ourselves in a market in which coconut water was being sold in plastic bottles and Tetra Briks," he adds.

According to Carlos Amorós, even though it may initially seem easy, the product is highly perishable and very complex to store while keeping its original properties and therefore they had to work very hard, from the fields in Thailand to logistics and product handling.

"We had to start from scratch in the development of machinery that would allow the process to be as automated as possible, given that it is already very expensive in itself; if absolutely everything was done manually, the activity would simply become unfeasible. For this reason, it is a niche product that we sell to a premium market. Since we first launched it last summer, we have been working with the supermarket chain El Corte Inglés, in Spain, with exports going also to the UK, where demand has grown in an unbelievable way, as well as to Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Luxembourg or the United Arab Emirates," he affirms.

"Its success has exceeded all our expectations and we'll be forced to expand our facilities in the short term," he points out. "It is a very exclusive item, given that it is the first certified organic coconut water with no added preservatives and an easy-opening system. It is also the world's first beverage that can be drunk straight from the fruit without its contents having undergone any manipulation."

The packaging, which includes a straw, is the coconut itself. The GENUINE COCONUT brand, under which the product is sold, is branded on the shell with laser technology. A biodegradable ring, made of coconut fibre recycled from the shell itself and a natural resin, is attached to it and keeps the water inside 100% aseptic up until the moment of its opening.

Only coconuts of the NAM HOM variety of Thailand are used by Genuine Coconut, as they are considered the world's best variety, with a sweet taste and a floral scent that gives it special organoleptic qualities and flavour.

"We have found our place in a yet unexplored market. And who wouldn't want to keep growing? We will continue moving forward step by step to ensure the product maintains its exceptional quality, which is what makes it so unique," concludes Carlos Amorós.