Tags: Agribusiness
By Anna Valmero
LOS BAÑOS, LAGUNA- The Calabarzon region is being eyed as a major supplier of coconut sugar to provide diabetic Filipinos with more options for healthy, all-natural sweeteners.
The Department of Science and Technology (DoST) has launched a regional development program to produce sugar with low glycemic index such as coconut sugar and coconut syrup.
Glycemic index measures how fast a food or ingredient triggers a rise in circulating blood sugar. Foods with low glycemic index (GI) such as fiber-rich foods are more slowly absorbed and produce a less pronounced rise in blood sugar levels.
Much of the farm land in the Southern Tagalog region is covered by coconuts harvested to produce coco-based products, such as distilled coconut wine.
This is why the DoST is looking into other promising sources such as nipa palm (Nypa fruticans) in Quezon province, buri palm (Arecaceae Schultz) in Batangas and kaong (Arenga pinnata) or sugar palm farms in Cavite province, said Lydia Manguiat, assistant regional director of DoST Calabarzon.
Support for measurement of glycemic index in food is gaining momentum in most developed countries with growing evidence that such foods have positive impact on health.
For example, using low glycemic sugars will lower the glycemic amount in food products such as white bread. This is because low glycemic food products – when processed using “good” sugars – result in foods with even lower glycemic index.
As part of the program, DoST will initiate standardization procedures to improve safety and enhance quality of the coco sugar products. Other studies being planned by the science agency include shelf-life analysis and profiling of the glycemic index of the sugars.
DoST council will work with the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) to survey the actual size and location of all palm-growing areas in the region.
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