Coconut water, one of the country’s top exports, is a valuable commodity, and maintaining its nutritional value and sensory attributes is a top priority alongside extending its shelf-life. Food scientists Engr. Mark Emile H. Punzalan, PhD (former chairperson of the UST Department of Chemical Engineering), Prof. Philipina A. Marcelo, PhD (Assistant to the Rector for UST Manila Annex) and Prof. Olga I. Padilla-Zakour, PhD (Director of the Cornell Food Ventures at Cornell Agritech) developed an innovative way to achieve this goal by optimally combining two non-thermal technologies: forward osmosis and high-pressure processing. These pressure-driven processing approaches are gentle technologies that are environment-friendly and support sustainable food systems.
The new technique was published in the Scopus-indexed journal LWT of ScienceDirect in a paper entitled “Nonthermal preservation of coconut water by forward osmosis concentration and high pressure processing.
Coconut water is an important health and wellness product due to the vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that it contains. It remains to be an important export product of the Philippines with significant impact on agri-based productivity. Data from Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), reported by the United Coconut Association of the Philippines, Inc., showed that in October 2024, coconut water turned in US$13.664M in sales, the highest among the 18 non-traditional coconut export products of the country. The second highest is that of the coconut water concentrate, sales of which was valued at US$2.869M. Large volumes of both products are exported to the USA. The development of innovative technology that elevates the quality of Philippine coconut water can continue improving its performance in the global market.
High-pressure processing (HPP) is an alternative approach to heat application in inactivating vegetative foodborne pathogens in coconut water such as E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella and L. monocytogenes and reducing spoilage bacteria to extend the refrigerated shelf-life of food. Forward osmosis (FO) is a membrane technology used in liquid food processing. It is a pressure-driven approach in concentrating dilute solutions, which is an alternative to the application of heat or the combined application of heat and pressure (vacuum). While HPP is advantageous minimal food processing technology, when applied to coconut water, due to its high pH, it may pose challenges such as insufficient disruption of foodborne pathogens, specifically, C. botulinum, that affects food safety. However, when FO and acidification, at the critical threshold of C. botulinum, are applied prior to the application of HPP, the disruption of pathogens, spoilage bacteria and enzymes can be more effective. This was the basis of the study. It was centered in determining the best processing conditions in which these two ‘gentle’ technologies are combined (FOHPP) to make minimally processed coconut water safe, wholesome and nutritious.
The study was an example interdisciplinary research, best undertaken by a multi-disciplinary team that can sufficiently address the science and engineering as well as the business aspects, making the resulting innovative technology more feasible and ready for commercial adoption. This benefits consumers and helps sustain the industry.
Industry impact of the study
The study was cited by the Spain-based company, Hiperbaric, on their LinkedIn account, calling the FOHPP approach, “innovative multi-hurdle solution”. The said company is a leader in the HPP industry in the world.
This illustrates the importance of interdisciplinary approach in research that can eventually facilitate the translation of the results of the study to industry adoption. This is the main concept in developing UST MAx in the City of Santa Rosa, particularly, the three-structure interdisciplinary research facilities known as the UST Santa Rosa Research Complex Trinity (“UStaRRCo Trinity”). This will operate in tandem with the UST – Dr. Tony Tan Caktiong Innovation Center (UST-TTCIC). The tandem is expected to facilitate the translation of research results to commercialization through technology transfer and entrepreneurship.
Strengthening local and international collaboration to expand the UST Research network and stakeholders support
Among others, the researchers acknowledged the UST Engineering Alumni Association, Inc. (USTEAAI) for the partial funding they provided in terms of scholarship assistance for Dr. Punzalan to conduct the study in Cornell University under the collaborative supervision of Prof. Marcelo and Prof. Padilla-Zakour. Additionally, Prof. Marcelo had her non-local Professional Affiliation at the Cornell Food Ventures hosted by Prof. Padilla-Zakour under the Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship of the US Department of State in AY 2021-2022 where she learned, among many other related matters, the HPP technology and research commercialization.