UniSZA research student produces flour, yogurt from breadfruit

Siti Nuriah Mohd Noor, 24, is currently pursuing a Bachelor's degree at the Faculty of Food Science and Technology, through her study titled 'Kanji Rintang Sukun' (Breadfruit Resistant Starch).

"I focused on the fiber potential of breadfruit that I extracted into flour and through the flour I produced 'kanji' (starch) before I went on to produce yogurt.

"I see that this study has a high potential to be commercialised. Maybe people do not see that breadfruit has something that can be extracted from it, especially in terms of fiber. Perhaps a more detailed study can be carried out on the project in the future," she said.

She was awarded the gold medal for her discovery at the International Conference and Exposition on Inventions by Institutions of Higher Learning (PECIPTA) 2017, recently.

"I did not expect my project to win the gold medal," she said.

On the benefits of breadfruit flour, Siti Nuriah said the flour could be stored for a long time and the fiber in the breadfruit is essential for healthy digestion.

"The nutritive value of breadfruit fiber which is rich in antioxidants enhances digestion and boosts immunity. I also produced resistant starch extracted from fiber of the breadfruit for the production of yogurt which can help treat bowel-related diseases," she said.

She said two kilogrammes of flour can be produced from 10kg of breadfruit, and from the two kilogrammes of flour only 30 percent pure starch can be produced.