CPCRI’s patented ‘coconut sap chiller’ helps get quality neera

One particular of the main takes advantage of of palm trees is the tapping of sap from it to be bought as a beverage. In the traditional technique, the sap from coconut trees – recognized as neera – is collected in open earthen pots, primary to its contamination and its fermentation.

Now, an creation by the Kasaragod-primarily based Central Plantation Crops Research Institute (CPCRI) has helped to get over these issues, encouraging farmers to get quality sap.

‘Coconut sap chiller’, CPCRI’s creation of amassing neera from coconut spadix beneath amazing situation employing ice box, has been granted a patent by Mental Residence of India.

KB Hebbar, Head (Plant Physiology, Biochemistry and Put up-Harvest Technological know-how) at CPCRI, told BusinessLine that he – along with Augustine Joseph, a farmer-entrepreneur from Udupi – experienced applied for a patent as inventors in 2014 and it wasgranted on July thirty this calendar year.

Mentioning the endeavours at the rear of the accomplishment, he reported this creation was a breakthrough technologies for the collection of hygienic and unfermented neera as early as 2013.

How traditional technique will work

In the traditional technique, neera is collected in open earthen pots with lime coating from the inside. Nonetheless, the sap so collected stays unhygienic as it suffers from contamination from bugs, ants, pollen, dust etcetera, and it will get partly fermented beneath ambient circumstances.

As a outcome, the sap is mostly applied for the preparation of alcoholic drink – toddy. He reported that coconut tapping was beneath excise command in a lot of States owing to non-availability of scientific collection strategies.

Start out of a new procedure

Hebbar reported, the collection initially concerned attaching a PVC adaptor to the slice end of the spadix, and a pipe draining the sap to a container housed in the ice box with ice cubicles.

When this technologies was commercialised to Augustine Joseph, he uncovered that neera collected through the day time was receiving partly fermented owing to its exposure to sunlight through the movement as a result of the pipe. The ice in the box lasted only six-8 hrs, whilst it required to very last at the very least 12-fourteen hrs in involving the two tappings adopted in a day.

Taking into consideration this, a want was felt for a customised box exactly where the spadix to be tapped would be inside the box, and neera from the slice end would straight trickle to the container put inside the box. CPCRI and Augustine, who is a technologies transferee from CPCRI, jointly labored and designed a box from locally out there product which was later on called a ‘coconut sap chiller’.

Hebbar reported it is a easy PVC pipe foundation modified like a box. The box is insulated externally by thermocol and rexin products acquiring an inlet (for spadix insertion), and a cap at the best end for inserting ice cubes and extracting filled neera collection container.

Top quality stays intact

As the box is absolutely shut from all the sides, there is no opportunity for entry of bugs and ants, and also the ice cube lasts for 12-thirteen hrs and the temperature inside is taken care of at close to 4°C.

He reported the neera collected at 4°C is in its unique variety and retained all its traits intact. It is not only a really great overall health drink but also conveniently amenable for processing into numerous worth-included solutions.

He reported the physical, chemical, biochemical, sensory and microbial investigation executed on sap’s sugar, protein, amino acids, vitamins, phenolics, anti-oxidants, minerals etcetera. uncovered that the neera collected by the chiller is considerably exceptional to not only previously mentioned parameters but also in conditions of taste, flavour aroma etcetera. from neera collected by traditional technique.

Next this, the sap collected by chiller technique is named as ‘Kalparas’ and registered beneath trademark as a non-alcoholic beverage. Hebbar reported it is excellent to be bought as a fresh beverage or nutritive drink for the reason that of its nutritional traits.

So considerably, CPCRI has commercialised this technologies to fifty six entrepreneurs and coconut producer corporations in the nation.