Freeze-Dried Coconut Meat
Freeze-dried coconut is the white kernel of mature coconuts, pared of its brown skin and freeze-dried to ≤5% moisture without sugar or sulfites, sold as shreds, chips, dice or powder. It is not desiccated coconut, which is hot-air dried. FruitBuys supplies it from Ben Tre, Mekong Delta, in bulk cartons and private-label retail packs for chocolate, cereal, snack, bakery and dairy brands, as part of our freeze-dried fruit range.
Buyers of dried coconut open containers every year to find the same three failures: kernel that turned yellow instead of white, pieces that went soft because the contract never fixed a moisture limit, and blends that separated because the fines ran higher than the recipe could take. Each one is preventable when both sides sign the same numbers before loading. This page gives you those numbers, and the one that matters most at a US port: every kilo of kernel passes a steam-blanching kill step at 85–88 °C before freezing, and every container ships with a lot COA showing Salmonella not detected in 25 g.
Product specification
| Item | Specification |
|---|---|
| Product | Freeze-dried coconut meat (white kernel of mature Cocos nucifera L., brown skin pared off) |
| Ingredient | 100% mature coconut kernel; no sugar, oil, salt, preservatives or sulfites added |
| Origin | Ben Tre, Mekong Delta, Vietnam; mature tall-type coconuts harvested at 11–12 months, year-round, thickest kernel February–August |
| Formats | Shreds · chips / slices 1–3 mm thick · dice 5–8 mm; custom cuts per drawing, tolerance ±2 mm |
| Colour / texture / taste | Uniform ivory white, no brown skin specks, no yellowing; crisp and light; clean, mild, naturally sweet coconut aroma, free from foreign odours and off-notes |
| Moisture | 3–5% (contract limit ≤5.0%) |
| Water activity | ≤0.30; tighter targets by contract, confirmed by trial batch |
| Fines | ≤5% by weight at loading (sieve); lower limits for chocolate inclusions by contract |
| Bulk density | 0.15–0.22 kg/L |
| Microbiology, standard | TPC ≤10⁴ CFU/g · yeasts and moulds ≤10² CFU/g · E. coli <10 CFU/g · Salmonella not detected/25 g |
| Microbiology, inclusion grade | TPC <1,000 CFU/g for chocolate, yogurt, ice cream and protein bars, confirmed on every lot COA |
| Foreign matter | None; metal detection on every carton (Fe 1.5 mm, non-Fe 2.0 mm, SUS 2.5 mm) |
| Kernel per kilo | 2.0–2.4 kg pared kernel, or 7–9 mature coconuts, per 1 kg finished product |
| HS code | 0801 (coconuts, dried); EU CN 0801 11 00; US HTSUS 0801.11.00 |
| Shelf life | 18–24 months in the original sealed bulk foil bag with desiccant, stored cool at ≤18 °C, RH ≤50%; 12 months for the sealed bulk bag at ≤25 °C, RH ≤60%, and once repacked into retail pouches. |
White because of the knife, not a bleach. The brown skin between shell and kernel, the testa, is pared off by hand, and the cut kernel is steam-blanched at 85–88 °C before it reaches the freezer. That step does three jobs at once: it is a validated kill step for Salmonella, E. coli and Listeria, it stops the lipase enzyme behind soapy off-notes, and it keeps the kernel ivory without sulfite on your label. Freeze-drying then runs below browning temperatures, which is why the pieces stay white and crisp where hot-air desiccated coconut turns cream and chewy. The full line, and why a quote at “8 kg per kilo” is copied from strawberries, is in how freeze-dried coconut is made.
Thick kernel from mature nuts. Processing uses mature tall-type coconuts at 11–12 months, when the kernel reaches full thickness and its oil is stable; the green dwarf coconuts sold for drinking go to the fresh trade, so your order does not compete with them. Dry-season kernel from February to August is the thickest and puts the fewest kilograms of raw kernel into each kilo you buy. Ben Tre sits at the centre of a coconut belt that, with neighbouring Tra Vinh and Vinh Long, covers more than half of Vietnam’s coconut area, and after the 2025 price spike the 2026 crop has kept kernel supply abundant: a good window to lock 2027 volumes. Seasons and booking windows: Ben Tre coconut for freeze-drying.
Crisp on arrival, not only at release. At aw ≤0.30 nothing can grow in the bag and the pieces stay crisp through weeks at sea and months on shelf. Contract limits, the two microbiology grades and what each lot COA covers are set out in freeze-dried coconut specification and COA.
Nutrition (per 100 g, typical values)
| Nutrient | Amount | % Daily Value* |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 660 kcal | |
| Total fat | 64.5 g | 83% |
| Saturated fat | 57.2 g | 286% |
| Trans fat | 0 g | |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0% |
| Sodium | 37 mg | 2% |
| Potassium | 543 mg | 12% |
| Total carbohydrate | 23.6 g | 9% |
| Dietary fiber | 16.3 g | 58% |
| Total sugars | 7.4 g (naturally occurring; 0 g added) | |
| Protein | 6.9 g |
*Based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Typical values for 100% freeze-dried coconut; values typically move within ±5–10% with season, origin and kernel maturity. Lot nutrition panel available for label artwork.
Keto, vegan and gluten-free without reformulating. About 7 g net carbohydrate per 100 g, roughly 2 g in a 28 g serving, with 0 g added sugar. 16.3 g fibre clears the EU “high fibre” threshold of 6 g per 100 g with room to spare. Lauric acid, coconut’s signature medium-chain fatty acid, makes up about half of the fat, a natural fit for keto, sports nutrition and clean-label lines. Coconut is not one of the EU’s 14 allergen groups, and since FDA’s January 2025 allergen guidance it is no longer listed as a tree nut for US labelling. FruitBuys runs a nutrition panel on your commercial lot for the printed label. Per-serving numbers and claim wording: freeze-dried coconut nutrition facts.
Formats and applications
| Format | Best fit | Carton fill |
|---|---|---|
| Dice 5–8 mm | Chocolate inclusions and enrobed pieces, protein and energy bars, trail mix, breakfast cereal, granola and muesli, bubble tea and dessert toppings | toward 10 kg |
| Chips / slices 1–3 mm | Crisp snack packs, yogurt and smoothie-bowl toppings, cake decoration | toward 7 kg |
| Shreds | Granola, bakery toppings, cake decoration | — |
On yogurt, milk or a smoothie bowl the pieces stay crisp for 15–30 minutes, so sprinkle them at serving rather than mixing them in days ahead. In chocolate, the dry, fat-compatible kernel gives a white, crisp contrast with no moisture to bloom the coating. Cut-by-cut dosing and recipe guidance: freeze-dried coconut chips, dice or shreds. Choosing between freeze-dried and desiccated coconut for a SKU: desiccated vs freeze-dried coconut. For bakery, granola and seasoning blends there is freeze-dried coconut powder.
Packaging
| Option | Detail |
|---|---|
| Bulk | 1–5 kg sealed heavy aluminium-foil barrier bags, light vacuum with food-grade dust-free silica gel, in a 5-ply export carton |
| Standard export carton | 58 × 28 × 34 cm; 7–10 kg by cut (dice and powder toward 10 kg; chips toward 7 kg); custom cartons and palletisation on request |
| Retail / private label | 30 g, 50 g, 100 g, 500 g and 1 kg aluminium-foil zip pouches or custom OEM sizes; nitrogen flush on request for retail pouches and long sea routes |
| Storage | ≤25 °C, RH ≤60%, away from sunlight and strong odours; ≤18 °C, RH ≤50% for stock held beyond 12 months |
Why the 25 °C mark matters for coconut. Coconut fat starts to soften at about 24–26 °C, so a warm store turns crisp pieces soft and glossy. Keep cartons cool and off the floor, and keep heavy goods off chip and slice cartons. Pick the bag size that matches one production batch; once a bag is opened, press out the air, heat-seal or clip it shut with the original desiccant, and use it within 2–4 weeks for full crunch. Shelf life, nitrogen flush and storage in detail: how long freeze-dried coconut lasts.
Private label and OEM
FruitBuys packs and seals retail pouches at source, in the partner facility’s dehumidified packing room, so your brand ships ready for shelf.
- MOQ 500 kg per SKU; a digital print run can split across several artwork variants.
- Pouch printing: digital in 7–10 working days, no cylinder cost, ideal for a first run; rotogravure in 15–20 working days for repeat volumes.
- Retail-ready labelling: UPC or FNSKU on the pouch, FBA carton and pallet labels to your instructions.
- Label support: a lot nutrition panel for artwork, and an accelerated shelf-life study on the final pack as a value-added service.
Commercial terms
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Supply capacity | 100 MT/year across qualified partner facilities |
| Trial order | Trial and R&D quantities without a fixed MOQ, from 1–2 full export cartons, then container contracts |
| Private label / OEM / ODM | From 500 kg per SKU |
| Samples | Dispatched in 3–5 working days |
| Production lead time | 20–30 days for a 20 ft container, after deposit |
| 20 ft container, floor-loaded | About 550 cartons, 3,850–5,500 kg net |
| 40 ft HC container, floor-loaded | Up to about 1,120 cartons, 7,840–11,200 kg net |
| 40 ft palletised | 20–24 pallets, about 760–840 cartons |
| Container type | Standard dry container, no reefer |
| Batch consistency | One locked partner facility for the contract, change-control with written notice and sample re-approval, audit access |
| Payment terms | T/T 40% deposit, 60% before shipment or against copy of B/L; L/C at sight |
| Port of loading | Cat Lai Port or Tan Son Nhat Airport, Ho Chi Minh City |
| Shipping terms | FOB, CIF (sea and air) |
Order the cut your line needs, ship the kilograms you pay for. Coconut is denser than most freeze-dried fruits, so it already ships more kilograms per container. If your product mills, blends, presses or bakes the coconut, order dice or powder rather than chips: they pack toward 10 kg per carton against about 7 kg, so the same container carries roughly 40% more product and sea freight per kilogram falls by about 30%. Keep chips and slices for retail packs where the shape sells. A full 40 ft HC carries the kernel of roughly 55,000–100,000 mature coconuts.
Quality and documents
Built for a US coconut entry. Coconut meat products sit under FDA Import Alert 23-12, which lets US ports hold coconut shipments without examination when contamination is suspected, so the first question every US importer asks is how Salmonella is controlled. FruitBuys builds the answer into the process and the paperwork:
- Kill step on 100% of the kernel: steam blanching at 85–88 °C before deep freezing.
- Lot COA with every container, from an independent ISO/IEC 17025 accredited laboratory: moisture, water activity, total plate count, yeasts and moulds, E. coli and Salmonella, plus a physical and sensory release check (colour, testa specks, fines, odour, foreign matter).
- Inclusion grade: TPC <1,000 CFU/g for chocolate, yogurt, ice cream and protein bars, confirmed on each lot COA.
- Contaminant surveillance: lead, arsenic and aflatoxin under periodic third-party testing, with reports available on request.
- Market panels on request: Listeria monocytogenes through an LAAF-accredited lab for US release when applicable, Enterobacteriaceae, pesticide multi-residue, cadmium, sulfite or a nutrition panel, booked before stuffing so the evidence travels with the container.
- Trial lots: a free release QC log and our baseline reports; third-party testing on trial lots is arranged on request.
- Pre-shipment and retained samples: 100–200 g from the packed lot in two sealed foil pouches; a retained sample from every container lot kept for its full shelf life.
- Certifications, through a qualified partner facility: HACCP, ISO 22000, BRC (qualified processing facility), US FDA Facility Registration, Halal certification available on request.
- Standard export dossier with every shipment: commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading, C/O Form EUR.1, phytosanitary certificate and lot COA, so the container clears on arrival without a document chase.
Import and labeling
- One heading for the cuts. Freeze-dried coconut shreds, chips and dice are classified under HS 0801 (coconuts, fresh or dried), and your broker confirms the line on the product description and documents. Full guidance by market: dried coconut HS code and import guide.
- European Union: 0% duty. Desiccated coconut under CN 0801 11 00 enters the EU at 0% for any origin (EU TARIC), so your landed cost is freight, testing and your margin, not tariff. Form EUR.1 still travels with every shipment.
- United States: classified under HTSUS 0801.11.00; the partner facility holds US FDA Facility Registration, FruitBuys supplies Prior Notice data and the supplier file your FSVP needs, and the lot Salmonella COA answers the screening behind FDA Import Alert 23-12.
- No increased EU border checks: coconut is not on the EU list of foods under increased official controls, so containers clear on standard frequency.
- Plant-health documents on a shared code: heading 0801 also covers fresh coconuts, so port systems check plant-health documents on this code by default. The phytosanitary certificate in every FruitBuys dossier lets your broker clear the container without explaining fresh versus dried.
- United Kingdom: same commodity code, with Form EUR.1 under UKVFTA.
- UAE / GCC: Halal certification available on request, C/O Form CEPA with every UAE shipment under the UAE–Vietnam CEPA (in force since 3 February 2026), importer product registration and Arabic labeling for retail packs.
Verify the sample
- Colour: spread 200 g on a white tray; pieces should be even ivory white. Count pieces with brown skin specks or yellowing against your contract limit.
- Snap: a chip should snap cleanly and a dice piece should crush to a dry crumb between two fingers, not bend.
- Fines: shake 100 g over a 2 mm sieve; what passes should stay within your fines limit (5% standard).
- Water activity: read a sealed pouch within minutes of opening; ≤0.30 passes.
- Aroma: clean, mild coconut, free from foreign odours and off-notes.
- In your product: sprinkle on yogurt or press into a bar; chips should stay crisp for 15–30 minutes on a wet base.
- Paperwork: the COA lot number matches the pouch label, with Salmonella reported as not detected in 25 g.
FAQ
Is freeze-dried coconut the same as desiccated coconut?
No. Desiccated coconut is grated or shredded kernel dried with hot air, which leaves it denser, cream-coloured and chewy. Freeze-dried coconut is dried under vacuum below browning temperatures, so it stays white, light and crisp. The full comparison is in desiccated vs freeze-dried coconut.
Does it contain added sugar, sulfites or preservatives?
No. The ingredient is 100% coconut kernel. It stays white through hand paring and an 85–88 °C steam blanch, not sulfite, and it keeps without preservatives at aw ≤0.30.
Is freeze-dried coconut keto?
It fits keto and low-carb positioning: about 7 g net carbohydrate per 100 g, roughly 2 g per 28 g serving, with no added sugar.
How do you control Salmonella in coconut?
100% of the kernel is steam-blanched at 85–88 °C before deep freezing, and every container ships with a lot COA from an independent ISO/IEC 17025 accredited laboratory showing Salmonella not detected in 25 g.
How long does it last?
18–24 months in the original sealed bulk foil bag with desiccant, stored cool at ≤18 °C, RH ≤50%; 12 months for the sealed bulk bag at ≤25 °C, RH ≤60%, and once repacked into retail pouches. Keep it below 25 °C so the coconut fat stays firm.
How many coconuts go into 1 kg?
7–9 mature coconuts, or 2.0–2.4 kg of pared kernel, depending on season and kernel thickness.
Is it available all year?
Yes. Coconuts are harvested year-round in Ben Tre; the thickest kernel comes from February to August, so many buyers book annual volumes and draw on scheduled call-offs.
How do I start?
Most buyers start with a trial order of 1–2 full export cartons, approve it against the sample checks above, then move to container contracts. Private label starts at 500 kg per SKU. The checks worth running on any supplier, including us, are in how to choose a freeze-dried coconut supplier.
Request a quote
Send these six details and we return a specification, a container loading plan and a sample schedule in one reply:
- Format and size: shreds, chips, dice or powder, with cut size
- Microbiology grade: standard or inclusion grade (TPC <1,000 CFU/g)
- Packaging: bulk bag size or retail pouch sizes, with or without nitrogen flush
- Volume: trial lot and annual estimate, with call-off months
- Destination port, Incoterm, and floor-loaded or palletised
- Market panels beyond the standard COA (e.g. Listeria via LAAF lab, multi-residue, nutrition panel)
