The United States Food and Drug Administration has removed coconuts from the list of U.S. food allergens, the organization announced earlier this week. The decision will boost the demand for coconut-based products, which might benefit major fruit producers like Indonesia and the Philippines. 

Packaged food and supplements containing coconuts and the Department of Trade and Industry announced that packaged products are no longer subject to mandatory allergen labeling under the United States Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004 (FALCPA).

Trade groups have been working to delist the fruit from the allergen list for a while now. In 2019, The Coconut Coalition of the Americas (CCA) petitioned for the removal of the fruit as an allergenic tree nut, a citizen petition known as the CCA Coconut Allergen Project, which called the categorization "incorrect," saying that coconut is not a tree nut and is not a major food allergen. 

This may increase the demand for coconut-based products, including sugar, water, and desiccated coconut.

The CCA celebrated the news, saying the development is "obviously good news for the coconut category, and also removes trade challenges," adding that this represents the lifting of a significant burden and provides consumers with clear, not misleading information. 

The organization says they've been active and in dialogue with the agency over the past few years.