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CODEX STANDARD FOR AQUEOUS COCONUT PRODUCTS
Coconut Milk and Coconut Cream - (CODEX STAN 240-2003)
1 SCOPE
This Standard applies to packaged aqueous coconut milk and coconut
cream products, as defined in Section 2 below, and offered for direct
consumption, including for catering purposes or for repacking if
required. It does not apply to the product when indicated as being
intended for further processing or to sweetened and/or flavoured
coconut milk or cream.
2 DESCRIPTION
2.1 PRODUCT DEFINITION
Coconut milk and coconut cream are the products:
(a) prepared by:
(i) using a significant amount of separated, whole, disintegrated,
macerated or comminuted fresh endosperm (kernel) of coconut palm
(Cocos nucifera L.) and expelled, where most filterable fibres and
residues are excluded, with or without coconut water, and/or with
additional water; or
(ii) reconstituting coconut cream powder with potable water; or
(iii) dispersing finely comminuted dehydrated coconut endosperm with
potable water; or
(iv) combining (i) and (iii) above.
(b) processed by heat, in an appropriate manner, before or after
being hermetically sealed in a container, so as to prevent spoilage.
2.2 STYLES
2.2.1 Light Coconut Milk
Light coconut milk shall be the product obtained from either the
bottom portion of centrifuged coconut milk or by further dilution of
coconut milk and complies with the requirements in Section 3 of this Standard.
2.2.2 Coconut Milk
Coconut milk is the dilute emulsion of comminuted coconut endosperm
(kernel) in water with the soluble and the suspended solids
distributed and complies with the requirements in Section 3 of this Standard.
2.2.3 Coconut Cream
Coconut cream is the emulsion extracted from matured endosperm
(kernel) of the coconut fruit with or without any addition of coconut
water/water and complies with the requirements in Section 3 of this Standard.
2.2.4 Coconut Cream Concentrate
Coconut cream concentrate is the product obtained after the partial
removal of water from coconut cream and complies with the
requirements in Section 3 of this Standard.
3 ESSENTIAL COMPOSITION AND QUALITY FACTORS
3.1 COMPOSITION
3.1.1 Basic Ingredients
(a) Coconut cream powder;
(b) Endosperm (kernel) of coconut palm (Cocos nucifera L.);
(c) Water.
3.1.2 Other Permitted Ingredients
(a) Coconut water;
(b) Maltodextrin;
(c) Sodium caseinate.
3.1.3 Other Composition
|
Product |
Total Solids (% m/m) |
Non-fat Solids(% m/m) |
Fat (% m/m) |
Moisture
(% m/m) |
pH |
|
Min. - max. |
min. |
min. |
max. |
min. |
|
a) Light Coconut Milk |
6.6 - 12.6 |
1.6 |
5.0 |
93.4 |
5.9 |
|
b) Coconut Milk |
2.7 - 25.3 |
2.7 |
10.0 |
87.3 |
5.9 |
|
c) Coconut Cream |
25.4 - 37.3 |
5.4 |
20.0 |
74.6 |
5.9 |
|
d) Coconut Cream Concentrate |
37.4 min. |
8.4 |
29.0 |
62.6 |
5.9
|
3.2 QUALITY CRITERIA
Coconut milk and coconut cream shall have normal colour, flavour and
odour characteristic of the products.
3.3 CLASSIFICATION OF "DEFECTIVES"
A container that fails to meet one or more of the applicable quality
requirements, as set out in Sections 3.1.3 and 3.2 should be
considered as a "defective".
3.4 LOT ACCEPTANCE
A lot should be considered as meeting the applicable quality
requirements referred to in Sections 3.1.3 and 3.2 when the number of
"defectives", as defined in Section 3.3, does not exceed
the acceptance number (c) of the appropriate sampling plan in the
Codex Sampling Plans for Prepackaged Foods (AQL 6.5) (CODEX STAN 233-1969).
4 FOOD ADDITIVES
4.1 BLEACHING AGENTS
|
INS No. |
Name of the Food Additive |
Maximum Level |
|
223 |
Sodium metabisulphite |
30 mg/kg |
|
224 |
Potassium metabisulphite |
|
4.2 EMULSIFIERS
|
INS No. |
Name of the Food Additive |
Maximum Level |
|
432 |
Polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monolaurate |
1000 mg/kg |
|
433 |
Polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monooleate |
|
|
434 |
Polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monopalmitate |
|
|
435 |
Polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monostearate |
|
|
436 |
Polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan tristearate |
|
|
471 |
Mono- and diglycerides Limited by GMP |
|
|
473 |
Sucrose esters of fatty acid 1500 mg/kg |
|
4.3 PRESERVATIVES
|
INS No. |
Name of the Food Additive |
Maximum Level |
|
211 |
Sodium benzoate |
1000 mg/kg only for pasteurized coconut milk |
4.4 STABILIZERS/THICKENERS
|
INS No. |
Name of the Food Additive |
Maximum Level |
|
412 |
Guar gum |
Limited by GMP |
|
415 |
Xanthan gum |
|
|
418 |
Gellan gum |
|
|
466 |
Sodium carboxymethyl cellulose |
|
5 CONTAMINANTS
5.1 HEAVY METALS
The products covered by the provisions of this Standard shall comply
with those maximum levels for heavy metals established by the Codex
Alimentarius Commission for these products.
5.2 PESTICIDE RESIDUES
The products covered by the provisions of this Standard shall comply
with those maximum pesticide residue limits established by the Codex
Alimentarius Commission for these products.
6 HYGIENE
6.1 It is recommended that the products covered by the provisions of
this Standard be prepared and handled in accordance with the
appropriate sections of the Recommended International Code of
Practice - General Principles of Food Hygiene (CAC/RCP 1-1969, Rev.
4-2003), Recommended International Code of Hygienic Practice for
Aseptically Processed and Packaged Low-Acid Foods (CAC/RCP 40-1993),
Recommended International Code of Hygienic Practice for Low-Acid and
Acidified Low-Acid Canned Foods (CAC/RCP 23-1979, Rev. 2-1993) and
other relevant Codex texts such as codes of hygienic practice and
codes of practice.
6.2 The products should comply with any microbiological criteria
established in accordance with the Principles for the Establishment
and Application of Microbiological Criteria for Foods (CAC/GL 21-1997).
7 WEIGHTS AND MEASURES
7.1 FILL OF CONTAINER
7.1.1 Minimum Fill
7.1.1.1 The hermetically sealed container should be well filled with
the product, and it should occupy not less than 90% v/v of the water
capacity of the container. The water capacity of the container is the
volume of distilled water at 20oC which the sealed container will
hold when completely filled.
7.1.1.2 Flexible containers should be filled as full as commercially practicable.
7.1.2 Classification of "Defectives"
A container that fails to meet the requirement for minimum fill as
described in Section 7.1.1 should be considered as a "defective".
7.1.3 Lot Acceptance
A lot should be considered as meeting the requirement of Section
7.1.1 when the number of "defectives", as defined in
Section 7.1.2, does not exceed the acceptance number (c) of the
appropriate sampling plan in the Codex Sampling Plans for Prepackaged
Foods (AQL 6.5) (CODEX STAN 233-1969).
8 LABELLING
The products covered by the provisions of this Standard shall be
labelled in accordance with the Codex General Standard for the
Labelling of Prepackaged Foods (CODEX STAN 1-1985, Rev. 1-1991). In
addition, the following specific provisions apply:
8.1 NAME OF THE PRODUCT
8.1.1 The name of the product shall be:
|
(a) Light coconut milk |
according to the product definitions and composition in Sections 2
and 3 |
|
(b) Coconut milk |
|
(c) Coconut cream |
|
(d) Coconut cream concentrate |
8.1.2 Coconut milk and coconut cream prepared by reconstituting
coconut cream powder or the finely comminuted dehydrated coconut
endosperm shall be labelled to indicate that these are reconstituted products.
8.1.3 An appropriate description of the heat treatment should be
given, either as part of the name or in a prominent position in the
same field of vision.
9 METHODS OF ANALYSIS AND SAMPLING
See Codex Alimentarius Volume 13. |