GAU finds way to boost jackfruit seed nutrition
4 hour(s) agoUPDATED
25 MIN(s) ago
BANGLADESH
Our Correspondent, Gazipur
Researchers at Gazipur Agricultural University (GAU) have secured a patent for a technology that converts jackfruit seeds into a concentrated mineral-rich food ingredient, an innovation that could help improve nutrition and reduce food waste
The Department of Patents, Designs and Trademarks (DPDT) under the Ministry of Industries recently granted the patent for the technology developed by Prof Md Amdadul Haque of the Department of Food Engineering and his postgraduate researcher Md Akram Hossain, according to a press release
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According to the researchers, while dried jackfruit seeds naturally contain around two percent mineral content, the new technology can increase it to more than 33 percent, boosting the mineral concentration by about 16 to 17 times
The research, funded under the Ministry of Education’s Grants for Advanced Research and Education (GARE) project, aims to utilise jackfruit seeds, which are often discarded despite being rich in nutrients
Researchers said the mineral concentrate could be added to processed foods to enhance their nutritional value while reducing agricultural waste and supporting environmental sustainability
GAU Vice-Chancellor Prof GKM Mustafizur Rahman said the patent marked “a new milestone in Bangladesh’s agricultural, food, and nutrition research.”
Prof Emdadul said that commercialising the technology could lead to new nutrient-rich food products, promote jackfruit-based industries, and increase farmers’ incomes
With the latest addition, the number of patented technologies developed by GAU has risen to 21. University authorities added that their researchers have developed 97 improved crop varieties so far
