Value added coconut products needed

by Sapumali GALAGODA

"Though research was carried out to introduce new coconut based products the interest to manufacture them on a commercial basis has been rare. It is time for the industrialists to start value addition and introduce new products if we are to remain competitive and earn additional foreign exchange", said former Chairman, Coconut Development Authority D.J.U. Purasinghe.

He said that research and new technology have helped other countries including India, Phillipines and Micronesia to introduce new products. Countries which grow coconuts do not export it in raw form but add value and thereby earn a high profit margin.

There are many new products that can be manufactured using coconut as the base be it snacks, jams, coconut ice, cosmetics, soaps coir based products wine or vodka, soft drinks, salad dressings or margarine.

India

Purasinghe said that India is one of the main exporters of coconut products.

One of the new coconut based products from India is packeted tender coconuts. Annually 2,500 million tender coconuts and four million litres tender coconut water is packeted. This water is a natural soft drink which is nutritious with 40 percent is exported. Instant coconut chips is another coconut based product manufactured in India is a popular snack food.

The sliced coconut chips are soaked in sugar syrup or salt water for 40 minutes and baked in an oven until golden brown. There are about 40 factories manufacturing 600 tons of coconut chips per day while plans are under way to increase production, said Purasinghe.India is also world famous for coir based products and the main objective of its Coir Research Board is to introduce new technology and tools to improve the industry

Coco diesel

Manufacturing of coco diesel is done by straining the oil obtained from dried copra.

Coconut jam

This product is manufactured by mixing, coconut milk, sugar and glucose.

Ice drops

These are manufactured by mixing coconut milk, sugar, flour, powdered milk and flavouring.

This is mixed into ice cream and when it becomes thick, it is poured into moulds and further thickened using an ice cream machine.

Philippines

Purasinghe said that the Philippines has introduced many value added products using coconut as the base. Among them are filtered crude coconut oil, binderless fibre board from coconut husk, coconut sugar, coconut flour, coconut methyl ester, fresh coconut oil and oil based products such as creams, lotions, ointments and lipstick, skim milk beverages, coco vodka and coco wine.

Thailand

Thailand also manufactures coconut chips as India. In addition coconut sugar, nata de coco (a gelatin and coconut based food, tender coconut drink, roasted young coconut and honey roasted coconut are produced by Thailand.

Indonesia

Indonesia manufactures many coconut products using fresh coconut oil. Among them are mayonnaise, salad dressing, margarine and processed coconut water concentrated powder (it is made by spray drying coconut water and tender coconut kernel). This drink has been introduced as very hygienic.

Purasinghe said that it is timely that Sri Lanka also starts manufacturing different products from coconut without concentrating only on the items manufactured at present.