Manikantan Ramarathinam

• Ph.D.
• Senior Researcher at Central Plantation Crops Research Institue, Kasaragod, Kerala, India

Extending the shelf life of fresh neera (coconut sap) remains a challenge, due to its highly perishable nature. This study investigates the shelf life of 70˚ Brix coconut sap concentrate under ambient and refrigerated conditions. Based on initial findings, sap concentrate at 70˚ Brix was found suitable for the production of rehydrated coconut sap a...

The development of snack foods while maintaining their nutritional integrity presents a significant challenge within the food industry. This study aims to identify the most suitable drying technique for producing high-quality coconut chips. The conventional drying method (hot air convective drying) was compared with the emerging drying techniques s...

Coconut milk, a plant-based alternative, poses challenges in preservation due to its high fat and moisture content post-extraction. Transforming its aqueous state into powder form offers advantages in handling, storage, and shelf life extension. This research aimed to assess the efficacy of various drying techniques (infrared drying [ID], hot air d...

The objective of this study is to develop coconut flakes that are readily consumable, using various drying techniques following osmotic dehydration in neera syrup concentrate (50ºBrix). A novel methodology and process have been established to create these coconut flakes, offering a distinct production approach. The infusion of neera syrup enhances...

Due to rising health concerns, consumers are increasingly inclined toward reduced-fat products, which have driven the need for nutritious alternatives through modifications in recipes and production processes. Despite the growing popularity of coconut-based products, there is limited research on baked coconut chips, particularly regarding the effec...

Introduction Coconut testa, a by-product of the coconut processing industry, is currently underutilised. This study aimed to extract a coconut testa-based food colourant using various organic solvents and physical methods, and to utilise this colourant in food product preparation. Methods Different organic solvents, along with various time and tem...

In recent years, there has been a noticeable rise in the importance of snack items in diets, particularly among children and adolescents who enjoy them socially with friends. Chips, commonly produced through frying, have garnered significant popularity. This study aimed to assess the quality of fried coconut chips of thickness 0.5 mm and 1.4 mm, ma...

Utilization of plant sap-derived sugars and syrups, such as palm sugar, birch syrup, maple syrup, and agave syrup, provides versatile alternatives to conventional sweeteners like cane sugar and high-fructose corn syrup, thereby enriching culinary options and catering to diverse consumer preferences. One noteworthy product derived from coconut palm...

Coconut inflorescence sap, commonly known as neera, is a phloem sap obtained from adult coconut palms. Traditional methods of tapping coconut spadix result in a fermented, oyster-white colored sap with a significant amount of ethanol. However, the introduction of the Coco-sap chiller allows the extraction of unfermented inflorescence sap suitable f...

Coconut sugar is derived from the concentration of inflorescence sap (also known as neera or Kalparasa®) collected by tapping the unopened coconut spadix. The original sap contains around 15% sucrose, which is concentrated by heating it to 90–95 °C until it forms crystalline or amorphous sugar. The resulting coconut sugar is brown in color and typi...

The chapter “Coconut-Based Food Products: Repertoire and Biochemical Features” delves into the diverse world of coconut-derived culinary creations, emphasizing their nutritional value, health benefits, and production methods. While traditionally, coconuts have been processed into staples like copra and coconut oil, the global market demands innovat...

This study explored various drying techniques and temperatures to analyze their effects on the drying kinetics and quality of copra. The initial moisture content of coconut kernels was 50%–55% (w.b.), which decreased to 6%–8% (w.b.) as a result of the drying process. This study focuses on evaluating the individual and hybrid effects of infrared dry...

Coconut husk is widely used as a source of natural fibers in the tropics. Dehusking and fiber extraction are some of the important unit operations in coir manufacturing. For the development of an efficient and economically viable fiber extraction machine, the engineering properties of conventional and organically grown coconuts were evaluated. Sele...

Widely acclaimed as the "tree of life," the coconut is intrinsically woven into human culture as a source of food, shelter, and medicine. Coconut oil and its derivatives have found diverse applications in both food and industry. Of late, the consumption of coconut in the form of oil and its derivatives has been proven to be beneficial. Taking into...

The study aimed to optimize the process parameters for the production of virgin coconut oil (VCO) by exploring the use of aerobic fermented neera (coconut inflorescence sap) at different concentrations (ranging from 5% to 25%). Fermented neera can be prepared from fresh neera without incurring additional expenses, presenting a potential advantage o...

Virgin coconut oil (VCO) is renowned for its numerous health benefits and widespread culinary applications. Fermentation is one of the simplest cold press methods used for the production of VCO. However, the longer fermentation time affects the scale ability and VCO quality. To enhance its production process and improve overall product quality, thi...

A tractor mounted air blast sprayer was designed and developed to reduce the drudgery involved in the manual spraying of pesticide by climbing coconut tree. The sprayer mounted on a small tractor, prime mover, is operated by the power taken from its power take off (PTO). In this study, the influence of two important parameters viz., blower speed (2...

Introduction and Aim: Coconut palm sugar (CPS) is a functional food comprising unique phytonutrients such as polyphenolics, minerals, inulin, etc., and has a low glycemic index (GI). Based on its distinctive biochemical composition, it was hypothesized that CPS would provide a glucose homeostatic effect. We investigated the effects of CPS oral admi...

Fresh coconut inflorescence sap is a nutrient-rich product that is naturally obtained from the inflorescence of coconut palms (Cocos nucifera L.). The present research work aimed at finding the optimum time of tapping to study the mechanism of fermentation by comparing the biochemical changes in fresh coconut sap collected at different time with an...

Tender coconut husk (TCH) is a prominent part of coconut fruit, and it is discarded after consumption of tender coconut water. TCH is made of fibers that comprise lignin (30–42%) and cellulose (54–65%) and also contains traces of tannin and potassium. In this study, development of most feasible and adaptable method for production of biochar from TC...

Owing to the demand for the consumption of healthy extrudates, this study explored the infusion of neera (coconut inflorescence sap) honey in rice flour, corn flour and coconut milk residue blend-based extrudates. Neera honey, the concentrated coconut inflorescence sap, has numerous nutrients and a natural source of essential vitamins. Hence, the p...

In this study, de-oiled rice bran (RB) and virgin coconut oil cake (VCOC) were selected as base materials. Corn starch, wheat bran, and guar gum were taken as binding agents. The doughs were treated with combined Ultraviolet (UV) (1000 μW/cm2 for 15 min) and Aqueous Ozone (AO) (3 mg/L, exposure time 5 min and pH of 4). The effect of these non-therm...

The qualitative and quantitative evaluation of agricultural products has often been carried out using traditional, i.e., destructive, techniques. Due to their inherent disadvantages, non-destructive methods that use near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) coupled with chemometrics could be useful for evaluating various agricultural products. Advancements...

Beverage industry has significantly evolved in formulating diverse products to meet the requirements of nutraceutical or functional food category. In this context, plant-based extracts from diverse sources such as soybean, almond, coconut, oat, pulses, and rice called plant-based milk alternatives (PBMAs) or analogs form an integral component of be...

The thin-layer drying behavior of sprouted wheat (cv. PBW 550) was experimented at different drying periods, such as 24 h, 36 h and 48 h. The samples were dried in a tray dryer at 50–80οC at an interval of 10°C. The moisture ratio was fitted to the six thin-layer drying models, and the performance of the models was assessed by statistical parameter...

The potential of bio-preservatives, namely, nisin, natamycin, and polylysine, as viable alternatives to chemical preservatives for storage of tender coconut water (TCW) during refrigerated storage (5 ± 2°C) was explored. Bio-preservative treatments were carried out after optimized heat treatment (85°C for 5 min) of TCW to establish its storage char...

The study explores the potential of the foam mat drying technique on coconut milk. Preliminary standardization showed the efficiency of sodium caseinate as a foaming agent and maltodextrin as a carrier material for drying coconut milk. A central composite design was used for optimization of sodium caseinate (4.0‐7.0% w/v) and maltodextrin (15‐35% w...

BACKGROUND Cocos nucifera (L.) is an important plantation crop with immense but untapped nutraceutical potential. Despite its bioactive potential, the biochemical features of testa oils of various coconut genotypes are poorly understood. Hence, in this study, the physicochemical characteristics of testa oils extracted from six coconut genotypes – n...

The number of food frauds in coconut-based products is increasing due to higher consumer demands for these products. Rising health consciousness, public awareness and increased concerns about food safety and quality have made authorities and various other certifying agencies focus more on the authentication of coconut products. As the conventional...

The coconut palm is aptly described as the "tree of life" because of its myriad of uses and diversified value added products. Coconut and its derivatives are considered to be an emerging functional food. It is also called a "miracle food". In recent years, there have been conflicting reports regarding the consumption of coconut oil and its health b...

The impacts of cocoa solids and coconut sugar on the sensory perception of bean to bar dark chocolate were investigated with mixture design using response surface methodology. The maximum and minimum levels of cocoa nibs, cocoa butter, and coconut sugar for the preparation of chocolate were 35–50%, 15–30%, and 20–35%, respectively. A suitable mathe...

The feasibility of using non-conventional osmotic agents such as coconut sugar, and jaggery in coconut chips production was evaluated, and compared with sucrose treated chips in terms of quality and sensory attributes. Samples were processed at the identical condition of 0.60 mm slice thickness, 45 oBrix solution concentration, and 65 °C drying tem...

The shelf life of the sugarcane juice ('Mandya' variety Co 62175), packed in high-density polyethylene-based nanocomposite films, was investigated for 60 days with 15 different combinations and thickness of nanoclay and compatibilizer. To assess the product's stability, physicochemical, microbiological and sensory tests were performed at 15-day int...

Sugarcane juice is a cheap and popular product in the beverage industry, with colors varying from light gray to dark green containing abundant amounts of polyphenolic compounds, ascorbic acid, minerals, and pigments. With ample sucrose content, sugarcane juice has evolved as the primary raw material for manufacturing 70% of the world's sugar conten...

Coconut sugar is prepared by concentration of inflorescence sap, popularly called as neera or Kalparasa®, collected by tapping the unopened coconut spadix. The sap in its original form contains 14–16% sucrose which upon heating at 90–95 °C turns into long threads followed by agitation or beating to form a crystalline or amorphous sugar. The coconut...

Effects of hot process-derived virgin coconut oil (VCO) on antiobesity, lipid-lowering and cardio-protection in male Wistar rat models fed with high-fat diet (HFD) were investigated for 7 weeks. The marked increase in body weight, liver weight, epididymal fat weight, and specific growth rate of HFD-fed rats were significantly attenuated when the HF...

Understanding the temperature profile of different packaging materials would be useful for selecting appropriate packaging material for in-bottle pasteurization. The temperature profile of polypropylene, polyethylene (PE), and polyethylene terephthalate bottles was investigated using COMSOL Multiphysics software to understand the temperature–time c...

The textural properties of coconut meat such as punching force, cutting force, punching energy, and cutting energy are the salient parameters for the efficient and ergonomic design of the fiber extraction machine and processing equipments such as coconut chips slicing machine and grating machine. As literature on these textural properties of coconu...

Polyphenol oxidases (PPO) and peroxidases (POD) are the major enzymes that affect the quality of tender coconut water (TCW). Advanced thermal treatment such as microwave treatment has the potential for the inactivation of food enzymes. The experiments were conducted at three different microwave power levels (450, 600, and 900 W) and five different...

Coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) and its value-added products are rich in medium chain triglycerides, polyphenols and flavonoids with a significant anti-oxidant potential. However, coconut and its products are underutilized for the development of nutraceuticals. Coconut testa is a brown cover of the endosperm, which is characterized with the considerabl...

The investigation was aimed to understand the effect of coconut milk, tender coconut pulp, tender coconut water and coconut sugar on the qualitative attributes of ice cream. Five ice cream formulations were laid out to substitute the major ingredients of ice cream such as, dairy milk and butter with coconut milk, skim milk powder with tender coconu...

This research involved designing and developing a prototype for minimal processing of tender coconut that could trim the outer husk to make a pentagonal shape coconut that could be cut open easily. The prototype consisted of a trimming unit and a power transmission system. The trimming unit consisted of a tender nut holder, shoulder-trimming knife,...

A study was conducted to explore the potentiality of coconut milk residue (CMR) for cold extrusion (pasta preparation). Proximate analysis revealed that coconut milk residue is a rich source of crude fibre (24.03%) in addition to crude fat (41.55%), crude protein (5%), total carbohydrates (26.24%) and ash content (0.97%) at 2.23 per cent moisture....

Adulteration of desiccated coconut powder (DCP) with coconut milk residue (CMR) is an emerging problem in the coconut processing industry. Consumers and industries are looking for a simple non-destructive device to measure the purity of DCP. vis-NIR (350–2500 nm) spectroscopy along with the chemometric techniques have been used to assess the purity...

Low density polyethylene (LDPE) based nanocomposite films made from different levels of nan-oclay, compatibilizer and thickness were evaluated for the storage stability of sugarcane juice for 60 days under ambient condition. During the storage period, important physico-chemical properties such as pH, total sugars, total soluble solids and overall a...

Tender coconut water (TCW) possesses appreciable nutritional and health-promoting benefits. The high nutritional potential of the drink had raised the overall demand globally among the consumers. Nevertheless, the processing and appropriate shelf-life extension is significant hurdles in tapping the nutritional potential of TCW. Besides, the possibl...

Coconut slices were converted into healthy coconut chips by replacing conventional osmotic agent with jaggery to counteract the health deteriorating effect of refined sugar. The optimal processing condition to yield the desired product was determined by employing a Box-Behnken design based on independent variables: drying temperature (50-70 °C), ja...

The coconut is an important fruit tree around the world, providing food, fuel and fibre for billions of people, especially in tropical and subtropical regions. As the palm has multiple uses it is aptly called the “the tree of life“. Coconut and its products are also known as a 'functional food,' since it provides health benefits over and beyond the...

The study on fermentation kinetics of the coconut inflorescence sap is important to understand its shelf life at different storage conditions and to develop suitable value-added products. The coconut inflorescence sap collected by using an in-house developed coco-sap chiller device is called Kalparasa. The fermentation characteristics of Kalparasa...

Technological advances have profoundly influenced the food industry with deep imprints on food safety and quality. Food safety and quality assurance demands a huge expertise from food technologists and an enormous commitment from the food industry. An exquisite presentation of an array of novel technologies to guarantee safety and quality in the fo...

Cashew apple pomace, a major byproduct of cashew plantations and processing units, has the potential to be used as a vital source of nutritive components. The present study aims in the utilization of this pomace powder as a biofortifying agent during the preparation of cereal based extrudates. Enrichment of cereal extrudates was done by supplementi...

Background: COVID-19 caused by the novel SARS Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is causing serious blockades in the global public health sphere. In the absence of a powerful antiviral treatment, exploration of plant-based products with antiviral potential has gained interest. Scope and Approach: This commentary presents the prospects of utilizing coconut...

For full text : https://authors.elsevier.com/c/1bcl3cFCSNBy7 Breaking the cocoa pod and extracting the beans is a strenuous and laborious task; hence an attempt was made to design and optimize a mechanized continuous cocoa beans extractor. Cocoa fruit was fed manually into a breaker unit through the hopper. The tangential force of the roller pushe...

Consumers generally prefer highly nutritious drinks in the form of 'ready to serve' and as a soft drink in bottles or as tetra packed beverages. Tender coconut is a noble gift of nature and the recent health awareness among the consumers has revitalized its importance as a drink of choice. Minimal processing technique for tender coconuts is being d...

Coconut de-shelling machine reduces both time and drudgery involved in the manual de-shelling process. A power operated coconut de-shelling machine, developed at ICAR-CPCRI, Kasaragod was evaluated for three varieties of coconuts namely Tiptur Tall, Kulashekhara Green Tall and West Coast Tall. The de-shelling capacity of machine, when operated by a...

Coconut inflorescence sap, traditionally called as neera, is a natural and healthy drink obtained by tapping the unopened immature spadix of coconut. The sap tapped by using the device coco-sap chiller, developed by ICAR-Central Plantation Crops Research Institute, is called Kalparasa®. The shelf life of the sap after extraction is 2–3 h in atmosph...

ICAR‐Central Plantation Crops Research Institute, India, has designed and developed a virgin coconut oil (VCO) cooker for the extraction of oil by the hot process. However, a number of VCO production processes being followed in India and elsewhere cause variations in the physicochemical properties, which in turn potentially affect the nutritional a...

The mechanical properties such as punching force, cutting force, punching energy, and cutting energy of tender coconut at its different orientations are pertinent for the design and development of efficient and ergonomic tender coconut processing machineries viz., punch and cutter, trimming machine, and snowball machine. However, the mechanical pro...

Coconut milk residue (CMR) is the main co-product of coconut processing including coconut milk powder production, virgin coconut oil, flavored coconut milk, and coconut milk yogurt-based processing industries. It is a rich source of polyphenols and dietary fiber. The proximate composition of coconut milk residue flour is crude fiber (25.51%), dieta...

Coconut oil is one of the most important vegetable oils in the tropical region. Coconut oil is used extensively for various edible and industrial purposes. Of late, coconut oil has been liable to adulteration either accidentally or intentionally. Adulteration of food not only decreases its quality but also leads to a number of ill effects on health...

Coconut and its products are important foods for thousands of years in India. Coconut oil is classified as a "superfood." Recently, virgin coconut oil (VCO) is gaining wide popularity among the public. It is believed that VCO is more beneficial than copra oil since the method of extraction retains more bioactive components including polyphenols and...

The physical properties such as tender coconut size, weight, husk thickness, and husk moisture tender content play a vital role in the development of an efficient and ergonomic trimming machine. The important physical properties of tender coconuts of cultivars namely Kulasekaran Green Dwarf (KGD), Andaman Giant Tall (AGT), Ganga Bondam (GB), Malaya...

Virgin coconut oil (VCO) is a value added export‐oriented coconut product. One of the major by‐products of VCO called as VCO cake is a rich source of protein (15%) which is presently underutilized. The effect of important variables including percent of VCO cake (20–30%), screw speed (300–350 rpm) and feed moisture (14–18%) on physical, pasting, fun...

Full access : https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/2PsvwbfgyxgIUWCRcSPa/full?target=10.1080/01919512.2019.1577128 Ozone processing is one of the encouraging non-thermal and bio-friendly techniques in the food processing sector. The applicability of ozone technology in food industry is increasing due to its antimicrobial action and modification of fun...

Application of nanotechnology in the food processing industry will provide new tools to enhance safety and the nutritional value of food products. This chapter will review the recent trends in nanotechnology in various fields of food science and technology including nutraceuticals and functional food development, food packaging (nanocomposite, nano...

The effect of extrusion screw speed (200, 250, and 300 rpm), barrel temperature (100, 120, and 140 °C), and formulation (Coconut milk residue [CMR] 10–20%, corn flour 20–30% and rice flour 60%) on product characteristics like expansion ratio, bulk density, water solubility and water absorption index, compression force, and cutting strength were inv...

For full text : https://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/hDZnTjH6WRM6chegyQEI/full Abstract Coconut husk is used as a natural fiber, and it is constantly gaining economic importance including in organic farming. Yet, there are major knowledge gaps regarding the engineering properties of coconut to design efficient coconut dehusking and coir manufacturin...

Palm sap is quite nutritious and highly prone to fermentation. The unfermented juice could be an ideal health drink. Palm sap’s quality profile and fermentation chemistry help to predict its shelf life and potential safety. There is demand from farmer–producer companies and food processing industries to develop bottling technology and a transportat...

Coconut testa, a brown skin covering of a coconut endosperm, is a rich source of phenolics. It is one of the by-products obtained in the coconut processing industries and currently underutilized despite being rich in phenolic compounds. A study was conducted to identify the suitable solvent system for maximum extractability of total phenolic conten...

This chapter enlists salient harvest and postharvest technologies of coconut. Various harvesting and postharvest gadgets, tools, machineries and equipments developed by different institutions are described. Technologies related to storage of nuts, processing of fresh coconut kernel and coconut water into different edible products, processing of dry...

The investigation aimed to compare the natural vinegar produced from mature coconut water and partially fermented coconut inflorescence sap. pH, total soluble solids and titratable acidity of the coconut water and inflorescence sap were 5.30±0.1, 2.40±0.3ºB and 0.3 ±0.1% and 5.27±0.06, 12.17±0.06 ºB and 0.62±0.1% respectively. Total soluble solids...

Rice and maize are commonly used for the production of extrudates and incorporation of nutritionally rich materials is prime important to make extrudates nutritionally superior. Coconut haustorium, a nutrient rich spongy tissue formed during coconut germination, was added to rice and maize (1:1) flour at levels of 0%, 10%, 20% and 30% (w/w) by repl...

Ozone is activated oxygen and it is referred as triatomic form of oxygen. It is a natural agent has a broad antimicrobial property, which together with an oxidation potential make it an attractive option for the food industry. This paper focuses on the use of ozone for preservation of vegetables, fruits and fruit juices and highlights the inactivat...

A study was carried out to develop muffins by substituting refined wheat flour (RWF) with virgin coconut oil (VCO) cake (0–50 g/100 g flour blend). Progressive replacement of RWF with VCO cake resulted in significant (P < 0.05) decrease in peak viscosity of flour blends (from 2527.75 cP in the control to 389.5 cP in 50 g VCO cake/100 g flour blend)...

Polypropylene-based nanocomposite films of 15 different compositions of nanoclay, compatibilizer and thickness were evaluated for packaging and storage of sugarcane juice of ‘Mandya’ variety Co 62175. The effect of nanocomposite films on the juice quality characteristics under ambient condition at every 15-day interval was studied for 60 days. The...

The dynamic flow properties of two important coproducts of virgin coconut oil (VCO) i. e. coconut milk residue flour (MRF) and VCO cake flour (CF) were studied. The basic flowability energy of CF was higher than MRF and increased with moisture content. The change in compressibility and shear stress, with applied normal stress and moisture content,...

Fresh coconut sap (neera), if kept at room temperature for a couple of hours, undergoes fermentation. Fresh sap is golden in colour, with pH > 7 and has no foul odour. The traditional way of tapping, i.e. collecting the sap in a mud pot kept at the top of the palm under atmospheric temperature for 8-12 h, ferments the sap before collection itself....

A b s t r a c t. Coconut milk residue and virgin coconut oil cake are important co-products of virgin coconut oil that are used in the animal feed industry. Flour from these products has a number of potential human health benefits and can be used in different food formulations. The objective of this study was to find out the flow-specific physical...

Diffusion channel storage system is a new concept in modified atmosphere storage. It was assessed for storing button mushrooms that are highly perishable due to their high moisture content and delicate nature. In the present study, polyethylene teraphthalate (PET) jars were used as modified atmosphere storage chambers. The jars were provided with d...