Okra Pectin research project makes strides

By Evelyn ARTHUR 

Professor Jacob K. Agbenorhevi – leader of the Knowledge Base Academic Team from the Department of Food Science and Technology, KNUST-Kumasi, met with management of CPC and indicated that significant strides have been made in the ongoing Okra Pectin Exploratory Project between his outfit and CPC with support from other partners.

The project is a collaborative initiative involving KNUST, University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS), University of Huddersfield (UK) and CPC under the Africa Agrifood Knowledge Transfer (AAKTP) with funding support by Innovate UK.

The research seeks to develop an alternative to lecithin in chocolate production by using pectin extracted from okra, a locally available agricultural resource.

In her brief remarks, the Company Supervisor on the AAKTP project – Madam Genevieve Pawar, who also serves as Head of Research & Development of the company – highlighted CPC’s over-decade-long knowledge transfer partnership with African Agrifood Knowledge Transfer Partnership and academic institutions.

She cited a major success story from this collaboration, which is development of the Aspire chocolate brand – a sugar-free innovation that has become a favourite among health-conscious consumers.

Prof. Agbenorhevi commended the project partners for their collaborative efforts, noting significant progress in developing both milk and dark chocolate samples.

He described consumer feedback from acceptability tests on the milk chocolate as “fantastic”, adding that the team is now focusing on shelf-life testing and other quality parameters as part of the project’s next phase.

He further indicated that access to quality raw materials will not pose a challenge, referencing recent findings that the variety of okra cultivated in Ghana is particularly suitable for pectin extraction.

Professor William Coffie, Managing Director-CPC, applauded the progress achieved just a few months into the project and emphasised the potential for job creation within the agrarian sector and strategic advantage it presents to CPC’s operations.

According to him, with CPC holding the first and exclusive rights to resulting technology, the company is well-positioned to forge strategic partnerships and capitalise on emerging economic and market opportunities.

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