Thursday, August 27, 2009

Coconut? More like Coco-not-a-nut!

Well not according to the FDA, which clarified in 2006 that coconuts, are in fact a nut.

Confused? I am. Let's piece through the legislation together shall we?

In August 2004, the FDA enacted The Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004 (FALCPA) (or Title II of Public Law 108-282). Turn to page 908 of the PDF. About 2/3 of the way down the page, under the section marked "Conforming Amendments," is the paragraph that defines the eight primary allergens- a fact many of us are familiar with today.

Something I wasn't so familiar with cropped up in this guidance report for the industry published October 2006. Coconuts and lychees are drupes, though they are classified by the FDA as nuts.

Now this is nuts. Although individuals can be allergic to both drupes and nuts (having an allergy to almonds in addition to hazelnuts and cashews for example- or to coconuts for that matter), having a blanket umbrella term is not helpful when it comes to making smart food choices. When you are staring down a label for almond butter and it says "May contain traces of tree nuts," without elaborating which tree nuts it may contain traces of- label reading can often prove challenging and disheartening.

Although Section 403(w)(1), acknowledges that a major food allergen must be declared using the name of the food source from which the major food allergen is derived, I have not found this to be the case in my experience.

(Please note that this represents my own interpretation of the FDA regulations and is not meant to substitute medical guidance.)

One way of intervening on this whole label confusion would be to contact the manufacturer/distributor directly.

I did so several months ago with Wilderness Family Naturals' coconut oil. I am not allergic to coconuts, and wanted to verify that it was totally nut free. I spoke to a representative who clarified that their oil contained only "organic coconut oil." Still a bit wary of the "nut" in "coconut", the jar sat in my pantry for weeks before I even opened it up (with a friend and epi pen nearby) to take a whiff.

Yes, yup, smells like coconut.

I always do food challenges for suspected allergens in the safety of my allergist's office, but on occasion I will perform my own food challenges at home, with a friend, epi pen and benadryl at the ready. Do note that these are foods I may not have eaten in years, or foods I have eaten in very small quantities- but most importantly these are all foods that have not previously caused an allergic reaction. They are foods that I took out of diet because of fear and anxiety (the nut part of the coconut for example- it's scary!)

Several weeks later, with friend and epipen in tow, I took a small teaspoon of the coconut oil. And it tasted great! Soon I was throwing it on everything- from stir fry to oatmeal!

Yes, oatmeal. Breakfast soon became an experiment with flavor profiles, trying to match up different combinations of fruit, spices and coconut. This wonderfully neutral base inspired my present coconut rice pudding recipe. I toss ancho chili powder, agave nectar with some goji berries and a squeeze of lime to produce a sweet, aromatic and ultimately revelatory rice pudding.

Sweet and Spicy Rice Pudding
Makes four servings

1 1/2 cups cooked Jasmine rice
(note: you can use leftover short grain brown rice, I drew on Jasmine rice for its aromatic tone, and though a long-grain, it acts like a sticky short grain rice- I used Bittman's instructions for cooking rice, below)

Pinch salt
1/2 teaspoon ancho chili powder
handful of goji berries
1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut milk
lime wedge

Place the rice, coconut milk and agave nectar in a medium-size sauce pan over low heat.

Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the salt and simmer until thick and creamy, 5-10 minutes.

Remove from heat, stir in ancho chili powder and goji berries (reserving a few to garnish on top). When you are ready to eat, sprinkle some lime juice from a freshly cut wedge.

Eat this fresh out the pot, or refrigerate to cool!




Mark Bittman's Basic Long-Grain Rice (from How to Cook Everything)
1 1/2 cups long grain rice
2 1/4 cups water or stock (I used water)
1 tp salt, or to taste

Combine the rice, liquid and salt in a medium saucepan and turn the heat to a medium-high. Bring to a boil.

Turn the heat to medium-low and cover. Cook for 15 minutes, or until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender. At this point:

- If the rice is not absorbed but the rice is tender, uncover and raise the heat a bit. Cook, stirring (you can add a little butter or oil if you like to prevent sticking), until the liquid evaporates.
- If the water is not absorbed and the rice is not yet tender, re-cover and check in 3 minutes.
- If the water is absorbed and the rice is not yet tender, add a few tablespoons of hot or boiling liquid, re-cover,and check in 3 minutes.



This recipe represents a delicious and very material intervention on some of the FDA's arbitrary labeling practices. Contacting the manufacturer and distributor of your processed goods is one solid practice you can take on- it's certainly an extra step, but one that is incredibly rewarding.

2 comments:

  1. so smart allergenius and looks delish. ps there are some cool recipes with coconut/hot cereal in this month's www.yogajounral.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. Fantastic thanks for that great resource!

    ReplyDelete