Shelf Life Extension of Coconut Milk-Based Products

Milk has been one of the integral dietary components of the majority of the population across the world due to its health benefits. However, given the current scenario of a rapidly growing population, milk allergies, calorie intake concerns, lactose intolerance, and other fat and cholesterol-related problems in different parts and sections of the population, the world is searching for an alternative to milk. Vegan milk, i.e., plant-based milk, has been one of the alternatives to traditional mammal-based milk. Furthermore, vegan milk helps especially the poor sections of people to get the maximum of supplements as in mammal milk at a comparatively cheap price. Among vegan milks, viz., soy-based milk, millet-based milk, legume-based milk, etc., coconut-based milk are considered suitable for human consumption. Besides direct consumption of coconut milk, it can also be used to prepare various non-dairy products such as ice cream, yoghurt, curd, and flavoured milk, among others. The preservation of coconut milk and coconut milk-based products for longer periods without significant changes in their nutritional and organoleptic properties is a greater challenge. To address the problem, we discuss in this chapter some of the existing methods, such as traditional drying, other heat-based processing techniques, and some nonthermal techniques. Additionally, some future suggestions are presented to keep coconut milk and coconut milk-based products as natural as possible with extended shelf life.