Wait…coconuts aren’t tree nuts?!

By: Ahhria Kirkendall

You read that right, friend. Now, you might be wondering, “How so? It’s got ‘nut’ in its name, and grows on a tree,” and that would seem to make perfect sense! Believe it or not, coconuts are seeds, and the FDA has this misclassified. For years, various organizations have pleaded for the FDA to correct this costly mistake as it misleads masses (think, mislabeling) and starves people with tree nut allergies from enjoying this tropical delight.

What can you do about it? Spread the word! Educate your friends, family, colleagues, and maybe even a fellow stranger at a grocery store or ice cream shop—if you’re feeling extroverted enough in that moment. You can also help The Coconut Coalition of the Americas campaign to petition for this much needed correction. https://coconutcoalition.org/

For those with tree nut allergies, you actually can “put the lime in the coconut and drink it all up” (as long as you don’t have a true coconut allergy).

Image courtesy of Pixabay and free to use under their license.

About the Author: Ahhria Kirkendall

Ahhria received her degrees form the Washington State University’s School of Food Science and currently works as a consultant in matters regarding food safety, quality, and regulatory compliance. She is passionate about educating people on how to ensure safe, quality food production practices and building positive workplace cultures for food manufacturing facilities and distribution companies.