CONSUMERS WHO purchase certain brands of bottled coconut water may end up swallowing more than they had bargained for.
A Bureau of Standards investigation has revealed that less than a quarter of the various brands of coconut water being sold have been registered under the JS 36 -- the Jamaican Standard Specification for Processed Foods -- and therefore cannot be deemed to have met basic sanitary standards for processing.
According to Executive Director of the JBS, Dr. Omer Thomas, tests conducted on some brands of the popular drink a year ago revealed that they were contaminated with fecal coliform (bacterial) organisms.
"At that time, there were only three brands on the market. Since then, there has been a proliferation of persons going into this business and there are now 25 different brands. Of these, only six have been registered," Dr. Thomas told The Gleaner.
He is warning consumers not to purchase unregistered brands, as they are presumed to be in contravention of basic sanitary standards.
A total of 2,647 bottles of coconut water were seized by officers from the Bureau who recently conducted inspections at 240 outlets islandwide.
In the Corporate area, the only brand found to be unregistered was 'Nature's Way', 104 bottles of which were confiscated from six outlets in Half-Way-Tree.
341 bottles of 'Riverside' Coconut water were removed from shelves in St. Elizabeth and Manchester.
In St. Catherine, 131 bottles were withdrawn. The brands are: 'The People's Favourite'; 'Natural Coconut Water'; 'Zion Coconut Water - Bells' ; 'OUR' and 'Portland Splash'.
217 bottles of 'All Natural' ; 'Amtrin'; 'Lambkin'; 'Bionic' and 'Water Valley' coconut water were seized in St. Ann and 60 bottles of 'Amtrin' removed from outlets in Trelawny.
Just under 600 bottles of 'Amtrin' ; 'Natural Way' and 'Mellenium' were withdrawn from outlets in St. James and 59 bottles of 'Natural Way' and 'Coconut Woman' were seized in Hanover.
In Westmoreland, 485 bottles of the 'Skip de Heat' brand were removed, along with 260 bottles of 'Riverside' coconut water and 75 bottles of 'Coconut Woman'.
Thirty-one bottles of 'The Tower' came tumbling off shelves in St. Mary and 51 bottles of 'Natural Sip' and 'Wes Nes' were withdrawn in Portland.
Dr. Thomas said many of the confiscated brands also did not meet proper standards for labelling.
Retailers who opt to defy the ban and continue selling the prohibited brands are liable for a fine of $500,000 for each day the product is displayed.
