Frequently Asked Questions
- Why Choose Coconut?
- What are the basic applications of desiccated coconut?
- Why choose Franklin Baker?
- What is an Automated BAX System?
- What is Salmonella?
Today, coconut is increasingly being viewed as a healthy alternative to other nuts. It works well in a wide variety of applications, in traditional sweet goods as well as savory applications. Also, it is a low cost nutmeat compared to peanuts, hazelnuts, almonds, pistachios, walnuts, cashews, pecans, and macadamia nuts. It is also nutritionally similar to these nuts.
What are the basic applications of desiccated coconut?
Desiccated coconut is a food ingredient with a wide variety of applications, primarily in bakery, confectionery, and dairy food products as well as savory foods and sauces and beverages. When used, it gives texture and a distinct mouth feel to food making it a popular cost-efficient substitute and has some distinct advantages over the other nuts in terms of cost, flavor, and texture.
The most frequent uses of desiccated coconut are the following:
- Bulking agent as in macaroons and in coconut fillings or filled fruit bars.
- Nut meat as a unique textural component in soft or hard cookies.
- Sanding agent or topping for snowballs, cakes and pies
- Ingredient for food coatings
- Mouthfeel and flavor where coconut is required such as in candy fillings and sandwich cookie fillings
No one else in the coconut business can match the expertise and quality Franklin Baker produces. The manufacturing plants are ISO 9001:2008, HACCP, GMA-SAFE, Halal and Kosher certified. Furthermore, Franklin Baker is the only company in the desiccated coconut industry that utilizes the ultra-sensitive PCR-based technology (Automated BAX system) for Salmonella detection.
What is an Automated BAX System?
Automated BAX for Screening Salmonella Detection System is a screening method that applies genetic-based testing to samples for accurate, next-day results. By the use of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) technology, the BAX system provides “yes-or-no” answer in 26-28 hours after starting the analysis, without the need of additional confirmation.
Automated BAX system has been used by Franklin Baker® for Salmonella detection over the last 5 years. It is a PCR-based (a highly sensitive and rapid means of amplifying a target organism’s DNA so that it can be detected) system of pathogen detection. This reaction involves combining bacterial DNA released from samples with primers (fragments of DNA) specific to organism, which is being tested. A heating/cooling process causes the primers to replicate the DNA from the target organism, amplifying it to a point where it can be detected. If the target organism is not present, no replication will occur.
Advantages of this PCR detection method versus conventional/cultured method are as follows:
- higher confidence in product safety/quality since this system gives highly reliable indicator of bacterial presence (or absence) because they target the DNA of an organism rather than its phenotypic reaction.
- Superior accuracy (reduced false(+) and false (-) because this system detects segment of DNA unique to the target organism)
- Sensitivity : can detect target organism at lower concentration (103 cfu/g) compared to cultural method (107 cfu/g)
- Reduce high cost of false alarms
- Outstanding selectivity ( inclusivity and exclusivity )
- Definitive results. No need for confirmation
- Easy to use and robust assay
- Fast result. Next-day result and for such, it will get products to market faster.
This BAX system used by Franklin Baker® plants is designed to provide finished product with a reliable pathogen testing for quality assurance and HACCP implementation. It is a convenient method with minimal hands-on time and analysts error caused by faulty techniques, which are common to conventional method.
Salmonella is bacteria which causes Salmonellosis—a sickness that causes diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps 12 to 72 hours after injection. In some cases, this disease can be fatal. Salmonella is prevalent in tropical climates where coconut is sourced and processed. Without stringent controls, the risk of Salmonella contamination is quite high in processed coconut. Through years of research Franklin Baker has developed an excellent system of manufacturing and microbiological quality control.
