CITY OF TABUK, Kalinga -- The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) introduced to cacao growers in the province technologies in the processing and manufacturing of cacao by-products.
During the 2017 Technology Promotion day with the theme “Science for the People” held last June 22, cacao growers learned there is more to choco tablea, cocoa powder, cocoa butter, chocolate, cosmetics and pharmaceutical products out of cacao and were introduced especially on the utilization of cacao wastes for industrial and commercial application.
Speakers from the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development (Philmec) and Mechanization explained cacao pod husk can be made into briquettes fuel for household use as an alternative to wood fuel. If turned into charcoal in big volumes, it can be utilized for industrial purposes such as for roasters and dryers.
Engineer Jeszel Suligan of Philmec said traditionally, cacao processors prefer to collect the cacao beans or extract only the wet beans leaving the cacao pods in the fields unutilized. A cacao husk, which is 73.4 percent of the whole cacao pod, is high on cellulose, source of Vitamin D and pectin. It is anti-oxidant, and used as organic mulch and soil conditioner.
Pod-husk ash is used for soap manufacture, Suligan said.
Engineer John Carl Galvez shared cacao drippings is good raw material for the production of alcoholic beverages, vinegar, sweetener or syrup, cocoa jelly, jam and marmalade. It is also good medium for yeast propagation.
By converting and processing cacao wastes will not only address the problem of waste disposal and environmental problems but at the same time, it is utilized to develop industrial and commercial products, he added.
Dixy Catacutan of DOST-Kalinga said their office is assisting 20 cacao growers in Tabuk City and Pinukpuk on technology transfer program. For starters, one of the technologies they want growers to adopt is the alternate planting of cacao in between coffee trees. (PIA)