Pectin Derived From Mango Peels

http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/388046/pectin-derived-from-mango-peels#.UPeBrR2grh4

January 2, 2013, 6:38pm

The extraction of pectin from mango peels is being eyed for commercialization this year. The extraction is a new technology developed by the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech) and the Department of Science and Technology.

Pectin is a group of carbohydrates used mainly as a stabilizer, and as gelling and thickening agent by the food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries.

“The country imports 100 percent of its pectin needs, and by fully commercializing the technology, we could start establishing domestic firms that could gradually supply the pectin needs of the Philippine market,” PhilMech Executive Director Rex L. Bingabing said in a recent press conference.

Data from the Department of Trade and Industry showed that the country imported about 94,848 kilos of pectin, valued at $52.38 million in 2011. Bingabing sees an opportunity in the production of pectin from mango peels as the country annually produces around 884,000 metric tons of mango. A lot of pectin could be extracted from the peels of the mangoes produced in the country.

The quality of pectin produced from mango peels is comparable to pectin made from apple pomace. Another source of pectin is citrus peels. Findings also show that the pectin from mango peels cost only P6,000 per kilogram. Five kilograms of Philippine carabao mango peels can produce one kilogram of pectin.

The next step, according to Bingabing, is to establish a manufacturing prototype at PhilMech’s headquarters inj Muñoz City in Nueva Ecija that could be viewed and studied by prospective investors who will be willing to set up their own facility for the production of pectin.

Aside from pectin from mango peels, PhilMech also sets eye on commercializing this year three other key technologies that it developed. These include the mechanical cassava drying combined with far-infrared and convection heating for drying mango slices and the use of biological agents for pest control.

The four key researches have all been finished and the next logical step is to commercialize the technologies from these researches in 2013 for the benefit of various stakeholders, Bingabing said.

Also in the pipeline is the technology on the processing of coconut wate which is now being exported to other countries.

With funding from the Philippine Coconut Administration, Bingabing said that PhilMechaims to come up with an equipment to hasten coconut water processing. Todate, PhilMech has already allocated P2-million counterpart funding for laboratory scale testing. — MELPHA M. ABELLO