The Philippines has developed functional products from ferns such as crackers, yogurt drink, and gummy candy, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) said.
DOST Secretary Fortunato “Boy” T. de la Peña said the ongoing project entitled, “OPTIFern: Optimization, Packaging, Technology and Innovation of Functional Food Products from Ferns” is funded by the DOST-Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD) under its Functional Food Program, and is expected to completed within this year.
Led by Dr. Jose S. Valmorida of the Central Mindanao University, the project “aims to develop functional food products from ferns, with tested physicochemical, nutritional, anti oxidative, safety, and anti-inflammatory properties in vitro,” he said during his weekly report on Friday, Nov. 19.
He said Valmorida’s team is eyeing to complete the project in December 2021.
"To date, the project team has determined and optimized key variables, namely, drying time, drying temperature, and loading density that will produce the optimum fern powder. Identification of the bioactivity, physico-chemical properties, and nutritional content of the optimum powder was also done,” de la Peña said.
He said the project team has also performed microbial and sensory analyses on the fern powder.
“Fern products like fern cracker, fern yogurt drink, and fern gummy candy using the developed fern powder were also formulated,” the DOST chief said.