Curated News
By: NewsRamp Editorial Staff
September 30, 2025
Curdlan Revolution: Pineapple Jam Production Cut from 3 Hours to 1
TLDR
- Food manufacturers can gain a competitive edge by using curdlan in pineapple jam production, reducing cooking time by two-thirds and cutting costs compared to expensive pectin.
- Curdlan, a natural polysaccharide, forms dense gel networks that accelerate soluble solids accumulation and reduce water activity, cutting jam cooking time from three hours to one.
- This innovation reduces food waste by preserving perishable pineapples more efficiently while making nutritious jams more affordable and accessible to consumers worldwide.
- Researchers discovered that adding curdlan to pineapple jam creates firmer, brighter preserves that taste the same but cook in one-third the time of traditional methods.
Impact - Why it Matters
This research matters because it addresses multiple critical issues in food production simultaneously. For consumers, it means more affordable fruit preserves without sacrificing quality or taste. For manufacturers, it offers significant cost savings by replacing expensive pectin while reducing energy consumption through shorter processing times. Environmentally, the innovation could help reduce food waste by providing better preservation methods for highly perishable tropical fruits like pineapple, where nearly one-third of harvests are currently lost. The technology has potential applications across multiple fruit types, representing a scalable solution that could make fruit preserves more accessible globally while supporting sustainable food systems. As food costs continue to rise and supply chain challenges persist, innovations like curdlan-based processing offer practical solutions that benefit both producers and consumers.
Summary
Researchers from Universiti Sains Malaysia and Mountains of the Moon University have discovered that curdlan, a natural polysaccharide, could revolutionize pineapple jam production by serving as a superior alternative to traditional pectin. Their study, published in Food Quality and Safety with DOI 10.1093/fqsafe/fyaf033, demonstrates that incorporating just 1.5% curdlan reduces cooking time from three hours to just one while significantly improving texture, reducing water loss, and enhancing product stability. Consumer panels reported no loss in taste or overall appeal, with jams containing 0.5% curdlan receiving the highest scores for spreadability, indicating that this innovation maintains consumer satisfaction while delivering substantial production benefits.
The research addresses critical challenges in pineapple processing, as pineapple ranks as the world's third most-produced tropical fruit but suffers from high perishability with nearly one-third of harvests lost post-harvest. Traditional jam production relies heavily on pectin, which is not only expensive and limited in supply but also naturally scarce in pineapple flesh, creating technical difficulties for manufacturers. Curdlan's unique gelling properties overcome these limitations by forming dense gel networks that accelerate soluble solids accumulation and reduce syneresis—the liquid separation that can spoil jam consistency. Microscopic imaging confirmed that curdlan creates compact, well-structured networks that reinforce product stability while maintaining desirable sensory qualities.
Lead author Shin-Yong Yeoh describes curdlan as a "game-changer for fruit jam production" that provides a low-cost, versatile alternative to pectin without compromising quality. Beyond pineapple applications, this innovation could transform fruit preserve manufacturing more broadly by reducing energy consumption through shorter cooking times and helping stabilize perishable crops to minimize food waste. For manufacturers, switching to curdlan offers significant cost savings by replacing expensive pectin, while consumers benefit from affordable jams with the same taste and appeal they expect. The research, funded by Malaysia's Ministry of Higher Education, represents a crucial step toward more sustainable and accessible food systems, though further investigation into industrial scalability and shelf-life stability will be essential before widespread commercial adoption.
Source Statement
This curated news summary relied on content disributed by 24-7 Press Release. Read the original source here, Curdlan Revolution: Pineapple Jam Production Cut from 3 Hours to 1
