2022 Seed Grant Award Problem Statements 

Zero Hunger

Problem #17:  Extensive Post-harvest Loss (450,000+ Metric Tonnes) due to Lack of Scalable Solution for Tannin & Astringency Removal from Cashew Apple Fruit

Country/Region of execution: India
Collaborating Organization: Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, Incubator (KIIT-TBI)
Started in 2009 as an initiative of KIIT with the humble support of Department of Science & Technology (DST), Govt. of India, KIIT-TBI has always strived to boost the entrepreneurial ecosystem in the country. TBIs Vision is to offer a conducive ecosystem to promote the innovation capacity of startups/SMEs and enable them to create new technology-based products, services, and markets, leading to job creation and thus strengthening the regional and national economy.
Problem Statement Description: 
The high degree of Tannin & Astringency content makes the fruit inedible. Furthermore, due to the speed at which the ripening happens, post the plucking of the fruit for the Cashew harvest, it is imperative that any tannin removal process and the follow-on value addition should be done within 2-3 days of plucking the fruit. Secondary Research states that 80 % of the tannin is in the exocarp of the fruit and more concentrated towards the lower part of the fruit. The nature & Texture of the exocarp of the fruit makes the adaption of the normal peeling process difficult and non-Viable at a large scale.  Cashew Apple (Anacardium occidentale L. ), which is a rich source of Calcium and Vit C, can be used to make a range of nutritious and affordable RTE(Ready to Eat) food products for the women population (especially Rural women ), 40.6% of whom are known to suffer from Dietary calcium Deficiency. The interim product (Cashew Apple Flour) can also have a broad range of uses in the food industry.  Some elemental work has been done on the Tannin removal and the increase of the shelf life of the intermediary product. Support from the Faculties in Purdue University is requested for providing technical support to develop a standardized process for large-scale tannin removal and increasing the shelf life for minimizing post-harvest loss.

Current methods that are being used for tannin removal include the following:

  1. Pulverizing the fruit & then use starch to remove the astringency
  2. Addition of Gelatin to Cashew Apple Juice.

The Key drawback of these mechanisms are:

  1. The time required for de-tanning by using earlier methods (gelatin, polyvinyl pyrrolidone, starch, sago, and rice gruel) was 8-10hrs, during which the juice was very prone to fermentation and juice recovery was low.
  2. Involves the use of chemicals
  3. The astringency is usually masked and not removed.
  4. The production of alcoholic beverages from the fruit is usually not encouraged in most cashew production states.

The solution that is being currently worked on needs a co-creation of solution and technical support in product refinement.