Re: Thai Coconuts Irradiated

[Guest guest]

Has anyone else come across the rumor that all Thai coconuts are

irradiated? I had never heard it and think it is probably not true but

have no idea, really. I hate to spread a false rumor (if it is) but am

also curious about whether or not it's true.

[Guest guest]

US Customs requires fruits from foreign lands entering US territory to undergo

some irradiation process. This is to avoid destructive insects, molds,

bacteria, etc. from entering and spreading in US farms in the country.

Re: Thai Coconuts Irradiated

Has anyone else come across the rumor that all Thai coconuts are

irradiated? I had never heard it and think it is probably not true but

have no idea, really. I hate to spread a false rumor (if it is) but am

also curious about whether or not it's true.

[Guest guest]

> US Customs requires fruits from foreign lands entering US territory to

> undergo some irradiation process. This is to avoid destructive

> insects, molds, bacteria, etc. from entering and spreading in US farms

> in the country.

Hmm. In other words, unless I know the source of a coconut I'm buying

in the U.S., it may have been irradiated?

Can you be more specific about " some irradiation process " ? -- (I'm

totally ignorant about this. Am I correct in assuming that something is

either irradiated or it is not? Or are there different degrees of

irradiation?)

Thanks.

[Guest guest]

> US Customs requires fruits from foreign lands entering US territory to

> undergo some irradiation process. This is to avoid destructive

> insects, molds, bacteria, etc. from entering and spreading in US farms

> in the country.

The U.S. treats coconuts as an " Unprocessed Seed not Intended for

Propagation " and talks about the import regulations in what appears to

be Manual 4 -- " Unprocessed Seeds " . I downloaded it online from

http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/manuals/online_manuals.html#Fruits

using the following link:

" Unprocessed Seeds -- Interactive PDF (457 kb) - Used for regulating

importations of unprocessed seeds that are imported for consumption and

are not intended for planting. 06/20/03 "

* * *

This manual does not mention the word irradiate.

All it says is that coconuts from Thailand without liquid are fine. If

they have liquid, the green outer shell surface of the husk must be

removed and fewer than 10% of the nuts can have sprouted. If more than

10% have sprouted, the importer is given an opportunity to " cull the

sprouted coconuts and devitalize; "

I don't know how they would " devitalize " the coconut. But from this

manual, it does not appear as if it is required to irradiate coconuts.

If it is not required, I would suspect it would not be done.

Thoughts (or knowledge!) anyone?

(P.S. It's not clear to me from the manual from the same site on Fresh

Fruits & Vegetables that items " must " be irradiated. They do seem to

require treatment of some kind but it isn't clear that they have to be

irradiated, although I may be missing it through the legalese.

Irradiation is sometimes mentioned as a permissible " optional

treatment. " )