Solving a thorny food waste issue: Singapore scientists make bandages out of durians

Record ID: 1637731

  • Title: Solving a thorny food waste issue: Singapore scientists make bandages out of durians
  • Date: 17th September 2021
  • Summary: SINGAPORE (RECENT) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF DURIANS IN BASKETS AT WHOLESALE MARKET DURIAN SELLER CUTTING OPEN DURIAN DURIAN FLESH BEING REMOVED FROM HUSK / SELLER THROWING OUT HUSKS BASKET OF DURIAN HUSKS SINGAPORE (RECENT - SEPTEMBER 17, 2021) (REUTERS) DURIAN HUSK NEXT TO BANDAGE MADE OUT OF DURIAN HUSK HYDROGEL SHEET BANDAGE MADE OUT OF DURIAN HUSK HYDROGEL RESEARCH FELLOW AT NTU, TRACY CUI (RIGHT) PLACING BANDAGE ON DIRECTOR OF FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY PROGRAMME OF NANYANG TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY (NTU), PROFESSOR WILLIAM CHEN'S HAND CUI PLACING BANDAGE ON CHEN'S HAND (SOUNDBITE) (English) DIRECTOR OF FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY PROGRAMME OF NANYANG TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY (NTU), PROFESSOR WILLIAM CHEN, SAYING: "So this project is about converting the durian husks into anti-microbial hydrogel-based bandages, so how do we do that? In Singapore, we consume about 12 million durians a year, so besides the flesh, we can't do much about the husk and the seeds and this causes environmental pollution, all this kind of things, so what we have done is we have developed a cellulose extraction technology to sort of taking the cellulose out of this durian husk and then convert them into antimicrobial hydrogel-based bandages for biomedical applications." VARIOUS OF CUI CHOPPING UP DURIAN HUSKS (SOUNDBITE) (English) RESEARCH FELLOW AT NANYANG TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY (NTU), TRACY CUI, SAYING: "We cut the durian husk into small pieces and then after that, we get the durian husk powder after freeze-drying, then we get the cellulose from the durian husk powder by extraction." CUI POURING CELLULOSE EXTRACTED FROM DURIAN HUSK POWDER INTO HYDROGEL SOLUTION VARIOUS OF CUI PICKING UP HYDROGEL SOLUTION MIXED WITH CELLULOSE FROM DURIAN AND POURING IT INTO MOULD FOR BANDAGE SHEET (SOUNDBITE) (English) RESEARCH FELLOW AT NANYANG TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY (NTU), TRACY CUI, SAYING / CUI HOLDING UP SOLIDIFIED HYDROGEL SHEET "Once the hydrogel is solidified, we just need to take it out from the mould." CUI ADDING YEAST PHENOLICS ONTO HYDROGEL SHEET TO MAKE IT ANTIMICROBIAL / HYDROGEL SHEET WITH DROPS OF YEAST PHENOLICS MORE YEAST PHENOLICS ARE BEING ADDED TO HYDROGEL SHEET CUI LAYING OUT HYDROGEL INFUSED WITH YEAST PHENOLICS AND PICKING UP SURGICAL KNIFE CUI CUTTING OUT PIECE OF HYDROGEL FOR BANDAGE (SOUNDBITE) (English) DIRECTOR OF FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY PROGRAMME OF NANYANG TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY (NTU), PROFESSOR WILLIAM CHEN, SAYING: "The advantage of this hydrogel-based bandages is, it's moist - so it would prevent the wound from drying up, so one of the applications, useful applications, maybe for people or folks with skin conditions like eczema, one common problem they feel is itchy, (they will) keep on scratching, the itchiness comes from the dryness of the skin so this hydrogel-based bandages may well apply to help these individuals feel more comfortable with their condition." BOARD WITH VARIOUS PARTS OF BANDAGE PROCESSES LAID OUT PETRI DISH WITH CELLULOSE HYDROGEL SHEET, AND CELLULOSE ORGANOHYDROGEL WITH YEAST PHENOLICS / PETRI DISH CONTAINING BANDAGE WITH ORGANOHYDROGEL WOUND DRESSING NEXT TO COMMERCIAL BANDAGE SINGAPORE (RECENT) (REUTERS) DURIAN WHOLESALER TAN ENG CHUAN AT WORK (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) DURIAN WHOLESALER AT PASIR PAJANG WHOLESALE CENTRE, TAN ENG CHUAN, 75, SAYING: "It will be more sustainable, it will be better. They can use it (the husks) to make something, then we don't have to use the garbage truck to dispose of them, which is less sustainable. If they can make something with these (husks), it will be more environmentally friendly. In a day, I discard at least 30 to 40 baskets of these husks." VARIOUS OF DISCARDED HUSKS IN BASKETS DURIAN WHOLESALER STOREFRONT
  • Embargoed: 1st October 2021 11:25
  • Keywords: Durians Singapore bandage environment food waste hydrogel innovation technology
  • Location: SINGAPORE
  • City: SINGAPORE
  • Country: Singapore
  • Topics: Asia / Pacific,Science
  • Reuters ID: LVA001EVIVCRF
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Scientists at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) are tackling food waste by turning discarded durian husks into antibacterial gel bandages.
    The process extracts cellulose powder from the fruit's husks after they are sliced and freeze-dried, then mixes it with glycerol. This mixture becomes soft hydrogel, which is then cut into bandage strips.
    "In Singapore, we consume about 12 million durians a year, so besides the flesh, we can't do much about the husk and the seeds, and this causes environmental pollution," said professor William Chen, director of the food science and technology programme at NTU. The fruit's husks, which comprise more than half of the composition of durians, are usually discarded and incinerated, contributing to environmental waste.
    Chen added that the technology can also turn other food waste, such as soybeans and spent grains, into the hydrogel, helping limit the country's food waste.
    Compared to conventional bandages, the moisture retained in these biological hydrogel bandages is also able to keep wound areas cooler and moist, which can accelerate healing.
    The researchers say using waste materials and yeast for the antimicrobial bandages is more cost-effective than the production of conventional bandages, whose antimicrobial properties come from more expensive metallic compounds like silver or copper ions.
    A durian wholesaler, Tan Eng Chuan, said he goes through at least 30 crates of durians a day during durian season - as much as 1,800 kg. Being able to use the parts of the fruit that are ordinarily discarded, he said, was an innovation that would make enjoying the already opinion-dividing fruit "more sustainable".
    (Production: Lee Ying Shan, Travis Teo)
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