A Spanish organic coconut product that allows you to drink the nut's water straight from the shell has won this year's coveted Fruit Logistica Innovation Award, and by a wide margin as well. 

"We are creating a category that really doesn't exist," said Genuine Coconut's Carlos Amoros of the product, which has a ring pull like a soda can in the natural nut.

Click here for more information on the Genuine Coconut from our event pre-coverage.

He said the product was currently sold in Europe and the United Emirates, but in two years the plan was to take the innovation global.

"We were preparing this for three years before launching it on the market in August, and we’ve placed it in different markets in Europe – in Spain, Portugal, Austria, the U.K., Switzerland.

"For our current volume we are producing 40,000 units a week and we expect to be able to triple that amount," he added.

The company sources the Nam Hom variety coconut from Thailand, where it has a plant that checks for quality control before sending the fruit to its processing plant in Spain.

He told www.freshfruitportal.com the next step was to sell the product in North America, with plans in the works to sell to two retailers that already stock the Genuine Coconut in the U.K. - Costco and Whole Foods Market.

The product proved popular at the industry event in Berlin, but will it be able to displace canned coconut water?

"I don’t think so. This is for a premium market – the price is higher because the process is very expensive – there is an internal process of conservation.

"I think think this will be a completely new category...consumers are discovering coconut water as if they were on a Thai beach."

Participants voted Genuine Coconut ahead of Danish company Northern Greens' Kitchen Minis in second place, and Dutch striped bell pepper Enjoya  in the third spot.

Belgian group Stoffels' Automato also caught the attention of many participants, and was given the FLIA Jury Award.

www.freshfruitportal.com