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G.K. Nair

Kochi, Nov. 29

The Cashew Export Promotion Council of India’s (CEPCI) laboratory in Kerala’s Kollam city, accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories and recognised by the Bureau of Indian Standards, is in the process of diversifying its activities to cover spices and medicinal plants.

It is a well-equipped food testing laboratory offering testing and certification services to all types of food products, including drinks and ayurvedic preparations. The lab is equipped with the best of analytical equipments available in the world, Dr V.P. Potti, Principal Scientist, who heads a team of scientists, told Business Line.

Products tested are cashew kernels, cashew nut shell liquid (CSNL), cashew testa, cashew apple, cashew shells and other cashew products, water both potable and industrial, spices and spice products, herbs and herbal products, marine products, beverages like coffee and tea, ayurvedic products, pharmaceuticals, fruits and vegetables, and cereals and pulses.

Currently, he said, the parameters tested include pesticide residues, aflaxtoxin, heavy metals, free fatty acid, peroxide value, rancidity moisture, alcohol content, lead content, bacillus cereus, total coliforms, salmonella, enterococcus feacalis etc.Its current research programmes include studies on optimisation of packaging conditions for cashew kernel packaging; fumigation studies on cashew kernels; and nutritional studies in cashew kernels.

Once the laboratory is shifted early next year to its new premises, built with financial assistance from the Central government, “We will double the number of equipment besides adding the latest ones,” Dr Potti said.

The laboratory will take up research activities on utilising cashew apple abundantly available in the country, which is currently wasted for producing industrial alcohol and other products. The fibre part of the cashew apple could be used for producing cattle feed. Similarly, the brown skin covering the cashew kernels could be used for producing tannin, which can find good demand in the leather and paint industry.

Research on CNSL would also be undertaken as several industrially useful items could be produced from it. Besides, it could be a “carrier material for medicines” Dr Potti said, adding “we can take a lead in this”.

He said that Kerala Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (Kinfra) would support the laboratory in its diversification activities by providing financial assistance to the tune of Rs 8 crore, he said.

More Stories on : Cashew | Exports & Imports | Kerala

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