The durian is indeed a much-loved fruit in this country but what happens to the hard, spiky shells or rinds after the pulp is consumed? They are usually discarded in the trash bin or by the roadside.
Those heaps of durian husks are actually an environmental and health hazard as they make ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes and also attract pests like rats and flies.
An innovation by Prof Dr Rosnah Shamsudin from Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) offers a promising solution for the efficient composting of biowaste such as fruit (including durian) and vegetable peels, ensuring that they no longer end up in landfills but instead serve as a source of nutrient for plants.
A researcher at UPM’s Department of Process and Food Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Rosnah leveraged her over two decades of experience in the field to develop a durian rind shredding machine called M’SReD, which can also shred jackfruit, cempedak and banana peels.
POLLUTER
Speaking to Bernama when met at her laboratory recently, she said the machine shreds durian rinds to simplify the composting process, ultimately producing nutrient-rich compost fertiliser for reuse in the agricultural sector.
Her efforts to find a solution for the “thorny” waste left by the King of Fruits started in 2020 when she developed the concept and design of the shredding machine.
“In designing the machine, the focus was on ease of operation to ensure it can be used by unskilled or semi-skilled workers. My team and I also made sure all the components of the machine have spare parts that are readily available in the local market. We also made sure the machine is easy to maintain and is portable and saves both time and energy,” she explained.
Rosnah has created more than 60 registered intellectual properties, an achievement that may be a record in the country's innovation sector.
After a year of hard work, Rosnah and her team successfully completed a final prototype ready for production by manufacturers.
“During the prototype development process, we faced many challenges, including ensuring the shredder teeth were sharp enough to finely shred even the toughest durian rind, while keeping costs reasonable,” added the expert in food processing innovation, who also conducted a demonstration of the machine at the Suria Residence Community Garden in Mantin, Negeri Sembilan.
M’SReD, which resembles a lawnmower, is powered by a 7.0-litre petrol engine and has wheels and weighs 20 kilogrammes. If successfully commercialised, the machine will be available in the market at an estimated price of under RM10,000, according to Rosnah, 52, who has a Master of Science degree in Process and Food Engineering and a PhD in Chemical and Process Engineering.
CHALLENGES
Rosnah said despite M’SReD’s potential for the nation’s food and agricultural industries, her efforts to commercialise the machine have been challenging.
“It is difficult to find a company willing to license this innovation together with UPM. It has to be a company that is truly committed and sincere in producing the machine. We also need to ensure the innovation reaches the intended target groups,” she said.
Her design innovations also won many awards at the domestic and international levels, proving the capabilities of her on the world stage.
Nevertheless, she remains passionate about creating solutions that have the potential to address agricultural waste pollution in the long term.
The prolific innovator, meanwhile, has created more than 60 registered intellectual properties over the years, an achievement that may be a record in the nation's innovation sector. However, she emphasised that she is not driven by numbers.
“My motivation comes from a sense of responsibility as an educator and researcher,” she said, adding her aim is also to educate the younger generation about innovation and assist small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in improving productivity.
She said machines are crucial tools for boosting production, especially for SMEs, and can assist entrepreneurial communities in food product processing operations, making the work lighter, easier and cleaner.
“Machines are capable of producing higher-quality products,” she said, stressing that using the right machinery can enhance competitiveness and performance among SMEs.
INSPIRATION FOR OTHER WOMEN
Asked what her most unique innovation was, Rosnah, who is also Malaysian Society of Agricultural Engineers president, said it is a device that can produce 12 curry puffs simultaneously.
“This device saves time and energy. It’s portable, easy to clean and user-friendly, making it ideal for small entrepreneurs,” she said, adding the machine has already been patented and commercialised, and retails at a market price of RM4,500.
Rosnah, meanwhile, has received over 90 awards, both locally and internationally, for her creations, including the Gold Award for M’SReD at the International Invention Innovation & Technology Exhibition 2022, Gold award for Versmap (a crop technology to enhance the production of Azolla pinata as an alternative animal feed) at the Malaysia Technology Expo 2021, and a special award for her Dabai NutCracker invention at the Korea Cyber International Genius Inventor Fair 2018.
In addition to durian rinds, the machine can also shred the skins of other fruits to be used as compost, thus helping to deal with the dumping of garden waste every fruit season.
One of the few women in the male-dominated field of processing and food engineering, Rosnah said she wants to encourage more women engineers to join the food technology industry even though the field demands both mental and physical resilience.
“I hope my efforts in educating students and entrepreneurs will nurture a creative and innovative generation capable of helping SMEs compete on a global level.
“Through knowledge and technology, we can create a better future,” she added.
