MALAYSIAN Palm Oil Board (MPOB) continues to develop new technologies for commercialisation which provide opportunities for local industry players including small and medium entrepreneurs as well as micro enterprises.

As such, our technologies, covering the whole spectrum of the industry, ranging from upstream to downstream, including formulation for food and non-food products contribute to the development of the country's palm oil industry.

At our 28th Transfer of Technology (TOT) 2022 held at MPOB head office last Tuesday, we introduced another two technologies and innovations for commercialisation.

The timely launch of our new technology for feed pellet formulation for beef cattle, which uses oil palm products offers an alternative to raw materials and can reduce the high production cost of animal feed. Most importantly, this formulation, after its R&D and commercial trials does not compromise the nutritional value of the feed pellet. 

This feed pellet formulation contains more than 80 per cent of palm-based ingredients, which include palm kernel cake (PKC), empty fruit bunch (EFB) and crude palm oil (CPO), a complete nutritional component for the growth of beef cattle in accordance with the nutrient specification.

The cost of animal feed has been rising since last year, contributing to the current high prices of meat in the market. The government, through relevant ministries and agencies have deliberated strategies to control the rising cost of animal feed and among the solutions are to opt for palm-based ingredients.

MPOB's technology is an alternative to others that use the high prices of imported raw materials. We utilise our very own palm-based raw materials that are available locally and throughout the year.

The use of oil palm products and by-products provides cost savings for the production of the beef cattle feed pellet and hence, can be sold at competitive prices in the market.

Many formulations of feed pellet for beef cattle that are available in the market use a single ingredient from oil palm by-product, which is palm kernel cake.

MPOB's technology which uses EFB in feed formulation is novel to the market and has lowered raw material costs without compromising the nutritional value of the feed pellet. We have conducted a feeding trial for the technology in collaboration with an industry partner in Johor.

We have successfully developed a technology which uses oil palm by-products to quality feed pellets for beef cattle.

Another food technology launched at the TOT 2022 is the formulation and process for manufacturing red palm oil-enriched functional cookies, which can be used to supplement children with vitamin A deficiency or malnutrition and as a healthy snack.

Red palm oil, the functional ingredient in the formulated cookies, is naturally rich in phytonutrients, including carotenes, vitamin E, phytosterols and squalene, which are known to possess various health-promoting properties.

Carotenes are very sensitive to light and heat. One of the important factors in this technology is that MPOB has optimised the production process control and fit-for-use packaging material to best retain the carotenes up to the shelf life claims.

This latest product was initially used in our nationwide clinical trial designed to investigate the nutritional status of vitamin A deficient primary school children in Malaysia.

By transferring this technology, we hope that many could benefit from the nutritional properties of this cookies by being able to purchase them directly from the retail centres.

MPOB also provides expertise for tailor-made formulation with reference to the Malaysian dietary guidelines and specific nutrient enhancement. In addition, consultation can be provided to suit the existing machineries or premises of those who are keen to commercialise the technology.

MPOB also assists throughout the production course and offers technical support to technology takers who are interested to explore this product.

Red palm oil-enriched functional cookies are cost-friendly and can be an addition to their existing product lines. This product has a great potential to be commercialised with its unique phytonutrient content as its selling point.

TOT is MPOB's annual event which introduces new technologies and innovations related to the palm oil industry developed by its researchers for commercialisation.

To date, MPOB has introduced a total of 711 technologies and of that number, about 32 per cent or 227 technologies and innovations have been adopted and commercialised by local industries and entrepreneurs.

* The writer is the director-general of Malaysian Palm Oil Board