Central Mindanao University Academic Paradise of the South
The Tomato-pineapple Blend by the CMU-Food Research Development Center (CMU-FRDC) qualified for the 2022 innovation award. It was one of the thirty-two (32) food product prototypes from different Food Innovation Centers (FICs) in the Philippines launched during the 1st National Market Launch entitled “Innoveats– Food Ideas & Creations” and was recognized as one of the eighteen (18) qualifiers for the recognition of Most Innovative Products.
Also, the product was among the six (6) newly developed products that were launched during the “Mind to Market: Regional Launching of New Developed Technologies in Region 10.”
CMU-FRDC created the Tomato-pineapple Blend research project through the Department of Science and Technology – X’s Grant-In-Aid Program to manage the overproduction and underutilization of several food crops in Region 10. Additionally, the said technology aims to deal with the shorter shelf-life of ready-to-drink juices produced by micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), the excessive generation of plastic bottle waste containers, and higher transportation costs.
In an interview during the Regional Launching, Dr. Queenie Ann L. Curayag, project leader, shared the product’s benefits: “The product can offer consumers appropriate nutrition from natural food sources so they can meet their Vitamin C requirements, especially the younger generation who are not fond of consuming tomatoes” she mentioned.
Dr. Curayag further explained that this instant Tomato-pineapple Blend powder is made from fresh and fully ripened tomatoes and pineapples. “Basically, the product is a combination of a fruit and a vegetable of which tomato is commonly classified as one by nutritionists instead of being a fruit, and it can be used for different culinary applications as well as for drinks,” she said.
Moreover, tomatoes and pineapples are rich in bioactive compounds with antioxidant activities to boost immunity that could help combat various oxidative stress-related diseases during this pandemic.
“The product will be available soon, and so later, it will be distributed to the distribution outlets,” she added. Lastly, the technology is available to adopters for commercialization. To learn more about the product and other food technologies the CMU-FRDC has developed, interested parties may call or text this number, 09053359607, or send an email to frdc@cmu.edu.ph, and are free to visit the center. [Mary Jane D. Bravo]
Photos courtesy of CMU-FRDC
