Known for its variety of uses, the calamansi is one of the most important citrus fruits in the Philippines. In 2016, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) recorded that the country produced 118,248 MT of calamansi.
The fruit is usually used for commercial processing of bottled concentrates, ready-to-drink juices, as well as a primary ingredient for cleaning and cosmetic products.
It is also a kitchen staple used as flavor enhancer for dishes, and in making dips and sauces like toyomansi. However, even if this tiny fruit has a number of uses, only 30-35 percent of it is used and the rest is considered waste.
Given this scenario, PSA estimated that volume of calamansi waste generated for the same year amounted to approximately 81,591 MT. This industry case has sparked the interest of researchers at DOST-ITDI to undertake a study on utilization of calamansi peel or ‘pinagbalatan’ into something of added value.
According to research, dietary fiber powder from calamansi peel is mostly composed of insoluble fiber that has major health benefits. This dietary fiber powder can be used as functional ingredient for food and health supplements production. Making use of discarded calamansi peels is a great help also in addressing the oversupply problem of calamansi during peak season. Here, farmers can augment low income by selling peels for dietary fiber production.
Aside from use of fiber capsules as dietary supplement, it can also be used as partial filler in quick-cook oats production and, or substitute for wheat bran.
Know more about the high dietary fiber from calamansi waste by visiting the Health Cluster. It is one of 21 ITDI-developed technologies selected to be featured in Cluster 2 – Aging Society, Health, and Medical Care of the 2019 National S&T Week (NSTW) Exhibits slated on July 17-21, 2019 at the World Trade Center-Metro Manila. Admission to the exhibits is FREE. It is open to the public from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
NSTW is celebrated every third week of July through Proclamation No. 169 of 1993 to highlight significant contributions of S&T to national development. ### (MVAtienza\\ ITDI S&T Media Service)
