Research in food and health in 35th SMAARRDEC anniversary
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| The UPMin team at SMAARRDEC 35th anniversary |
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| Prof. Calumba explains her beer research poster | Angela Urquiola explains the mango research |
Researchers from the University of the Philippines (UP) Mindanao presented industrial and practical solutions to food and related sectors at the 35th-anniversary celebration of the Southern Mindanao Agriculture and Aquatic Resources Research and Development Consortium (SMAARRDEC) on August 17, 2022.
Dr. Melvin Pasaporte’s pitch in the Technology and Industry Forum focused on convincing investors to invest in the UP Mindanao lactic acid technology, which promised a more cost-efficient process of producing lactic acid locally. Lactic acid, he said, has applications in the food, chemical, pharmaceutical, and polymer industries, and the technology presented an opportunity for investors to invest in potentially the first commercial lactic acid production plant in the country.
In fisheries, Mr. Remie Aurelio’s pitch in the same forum focused on minimizing the deterioration of coral reef ecosystems that would affect fishing and livelihoods in the Davao region. He said that wastewater discharge from industrial and agricultural activities causes this deterioration. Therefore, he advised local government units to minimize such discharges or to propagate helophyte plants and reeds which can filter wastewater before they reach the sea.
In the research category for the oral presentation, Assistant Professor Kriza Faye Calumba described a recent study on the production of a probiotic beverage from marang, an abundant but underutilized fruit. Mixing a Lactobacillus strain previously isolated from nipa into the raw marang juice produced a non-dairy probiotic drink that has potential health benefits, she said.
