| Universiti Putra Malaysia

UPM students produce nutritious mango-based Vit-A-Go snack


SERDANG, August 1st – The wastage of mangoes and the lack of nutrition among Kenyan children have motivated six UPM postgraduate students from the Faculty of Food Science Technology (FSTM), to develop Vit-A-Go, a  tasty snack enriched with vitamin A.

According to Sew Chang Chew, leader of the team that also includes Mohd Asraf Mohd Zainuddin, Najla Gooda Sahib, Tan Tai Boon, Kuan Chee Hao and Lasekan Adeseye O, Vit-A-Go is produced from overripe mangoes, which are usually thrown away, and regular consumption of this innovative snack will help  alleviate Vitamin A deficiency in the body.

 “The idea for this project was prompted by our desire to investigate ways of producing nutritious food economically and conveniently to overcome the problem of nutrition deficiency in developing countries,” explained Sew.

“Our research discovered that Kenya produces lots of  mangoes but  due to the short harvesting period and inconsistency of fruit quality, a sizeable portion of the harvest goes to waste. Added to this was the realization of the critical problem of malnutrition among Kenyan children,” Sew revealed at the Putra Cipta press conference held here.



Sew berkata proses untuk menghasilkan Vit-A-Go adalah mudah dengan menggunakan isi mangga yang lebam atau terlalu masak lalu dikisar menjadi puri dan dicampurkan dengan gula dan asid sitrik.

“Setelah dikeringkan, campuran berkenaan dipotong dan dipekkan. Anggaran harga untuk menghasilkan satu sachet Vit-A-Go adalah RM0.20 hingga RM1,” katanya.

Ahli kumpulan tunggal wanita, Najla Gooda Sahib berkata Vit-A-Go berjaya meraih tempat pertama dalam pertandingan Institute of Food Technologies Student Association-Developing Solutions for Developing Country (IFTSA-DSDC) di Las Vegas, Nevada, Amerika pada 28 Jun lalu.

“Vit-A-Go menarik perhatian juri kerana kelebihannya dari segi kos yang murah,  tempoh pemprosesan yang singkat, teknologi pembuatannya yang tidak rumit dan mempunyai kadar vitamin A yang tinggi berbanding snek sedia ada dalam pasaran,” katanya.

Turut hadir pada sidang media Putra Cipta itu ialah Dekan FSTM, Prof. Dr. Mohd Yazid Abd. Manap dan Pengarah Putra Science Park, Prof. Dato’ Dr. Mohamed Shariff Mohamed Din.



News prepared by Muhamad Najkhan Mazlan, 03-89466011 and photo by Mohd Hasrul Hamdan, 03-89466189

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