Cashew Processing for Fruit Juice Production

Abundant availability of cashew apples in Lapai and its environs and in many other parts of Niger State stimulated the idea of producing cashew juice at IBB University to add value to the nutrient-packed cashew apples which are normally wasted during season (January-April) and to make available to the University community food sources that significantly improve human nutrition. The cashew juice production project started through the Department of Food Science and Technology in March 2014 and it was managed by CASTER. Commodity and cashew raw materials research analyses were undertaken as a basis for value addition and innovations that were brought into the cashew juice processing and production. The juice was served widely to guests during the first convocation ceremony of the University in November 2014. Further development into food processing pilot plant for entrepreneurial training as well as undergraduate practicals, commercialization and revenue generation for the University is being conceptualized through funding scouting from different agencies. Results on the raw material analyses and toxicological studies have been published in reputable international journals.