KOTA KINABALU: A team of University Malaysia Sabah (UMS) researchers has taken the initiative to teach Tamparuli villagers how to transform overripe pineapples into vinegar products through technology intervention.
The team consisting food technologists and scientists from various disciplines, had last month, gone to Kampung Rungus Nahaba to conduct demonstrations to 17 local pineapple planters in the village.
The intervention was conducted by the varsity's Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition as part of the UMS Agri-Solutions programme that aims to resolve issues from farm to plate in agriculture, food product development, and supply chain.
The project and team leader Dr Fan Hui Yin said the people of Kampung Rungus Nahaba and some other villagers nearby have been growing pineapples as part of their livelihood.
"Pineapples are well-grown in this area. Nearly every household has its own pineapple garden. They developed skills for pineapple plantation, and this has become one of their sources of income," she said when contacted today.
The UMS senior lecturer said the technology intervention idea came during the Covid-19 outbreak and the implementation of the movement control order that saw many pineapples left unsold and rotten, with villagers losing their income.
This, Dr Fan, said was observed by fellow UMS academician Associate Professor Ts Dr Gaim James Lunkapis, who sought solutions from the Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition.
"Eventually, I picked this up and proposed to resolve this issue by making pineapple vinegar. The village welcomed this idea very well and participated in this intervention," she said
Throughout the technology intervention programme, participants were given the basic knowledge on the preparation process.
The team of researchers also emphasised safety procedures and hygiene steps that planters were required to follow to ensure their pineapple vinegar product was safe for consumption.
Dr Fan said overripe pineapples were washed and cut into smaller pieces, before immersing them into a sugar solution for fermentation.
"This fermentation will bio-transform the content in pineapple pieces into vinegar in 30 to 60 days. All hygiene steps throughout the process are crucial for the quality of the pineapple vinegar produced.
"Although the health benefits of pineapple vinegar in this project are still being confirmed, fruit vinegars have been popularly consumed by health-conscious consumers due to their various functional benefits," she said.
Dr Fan noted converting fruits into homemade products with prolonged shelf-life could generate value-added opportunities for pineapple planters to help them earn more.
Other team members involved in the technology intervention project were Dr Mansoor Abdul Hamid, Associate Professor Dr Lee Jau Shya, Associate Professor Dr Hasmadi Mamat, Dr Md Jahurul Haque Akanda, and Siti Faridah Mohd Amin.