VATIS UPDATE Article

The Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Philippines, has tapped the expertise of scientists from University of the Philippines Mindanao (UP Mindano) to develop coconut water into powder. Using a spray dryer developed by the Industrial Technology Development Institute (ITDI), Philippines, and the Metals Industry Research and Development Center (MIRDC), Philippines, a team of food scientists from UP Mindanao has completed the process of converting coconut water into powder.

Coconut powder has a much lower price when compared with the ready-to-drink version. Wrapped in convenient individual sachets, the coconut powder is considered among the country’s leading agricultural exports. “We are very happy that our investments in various R&D efforts have resulted in many significant breakthroughs and that our Filipino scientists, engineers and researchers are showing they can deliver if only you will invest and gamble on them,” DOST Secretary Mario Montejo.

The MIRDS and ITDI successfully designed and fabricated their own equipment which allowed the construction of food innovation centers in Davao City, Tuguegarao City and Tacloban City. Coconut powder can also be used in baking biscuits, snack bars, cakes, pastries as well as in making jams and jellies and flavoring for ice cream.