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G.K. Nair

KOCHI, March 7

THE cashew apple, much of it hitherto wasted, has tremendous potential if commercially exploited by the food processing industry.

There is a substantial production of cashew apple in the country and hardly 30 per cent of it is being commercially exploited presently for brewing cashew feny mainly in Goa. The Kerala Agricultural University's cashew research station at Madakkathara near Thrissur has developed cashew juice, jam and vinegar, according to Dr Abdul Salam, Assistant Dean of the University. Many more products could be produced from the apple for which technologies had been developed, but they had not been properly propagated so far, he told Business Line.

``Cashew apple can be rendered beneficial to meet the consumers needs and industrial demands'' and the research work had already thrown some light on this important aspect, according to Dr M.P. Vaidehi of University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore.

Whole fresh fruits could be processed into pickles, jams and jellies, besides making ready-to-serve products locally wherever collection was made. This would help reduce the cost of production of the processed fruits by saving transportation expenditure, she pointed out.

Using the available technology cashew pulp could be stored for later use with natural preservatives. Mixed pickles with right type of well-tested and accepted spices and condiments could be produced.

Besides, she said, dehydrated cashew apple powder with and without juice could find use in the production of various value-added products. Several recipes had been prepared with the use of 10-30 per cent of cashew apple powder. ``All the products prepared under these recipes have been tested for acceptability and over three months shelf life'', Dr Vaidehi said.

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