The Coconut Development Board (CDB) in collaboration with Defence Food Research Laboratory (DFRL), Mysore, has developed the technology for packaging tender coconut water in pouches and aluminium cans. The process technology is now made available to entrepreneurs at a total lumpsum transfer fee of Rs 3 lakh.

The processing and packaging of tender coconut water with a capacity of 10,000 tender nuts per day involves an investment ranging from Rs 35 to Rs 40 lakh covering plant, machinery and working capital with a direct employment potential of 30 personnel. The profitability after taking into account the prevailing prices of finished product works out to be around 20 per cent with a payback period of 3 years.

Coconut water of 6-7 month stage is first filtered through pressure filters and then mixed with the desired proportion of additives plus sugar and concentrated to the appropriate level. The water is then packed in pouches / cans and retorted in an autoclave, after which it is cooled in a stream of cold water. It helps to retain the flavour of the tender coconut water in pouches or cans for three months at room temperature and for six months under refrigerated conditions.