Technical Evaluation of Coconut Sugar Production Methods and Quality of Selected Processors in the Philippines

Abstract

The study evaluated the coconut sugar production methods and quality of products of selected processors in the Philippines. It involved classifying respondents who practiced traditional and mechanical production methods and identifying the processing plant’s production process capacity.  It also assessed the physical quality of coconut sugar produced by the processors. Results showed that most of the processes involved in coconut sugar production are still manually done using the traditional method. It was found that the average evaporation, crystallization, and drying capacity for processors employing traditional methods were 8.16 L of coconut sap per hour, 3.96 L of coconut syrup per hour, and 3.67 kg of wet coconut sugar per hour, respectively. Meanwhile, the average evaporation, crystallization, and drying capacity of the equipment of respondents employing mechanical methods were 19.09 L of coconut sap per hour, 2 L of coconut syrup per hour, and 37.37 kg of wet coconut sugar per hour, respectively. The mechanical method of evaporation and drying in coconut sugar production shows a higher production capacity than the traditional method. On the other hand, the color of coconut sugar samples of the processors-respondents was yellow to brown with average HSB values of 26.25°, 38.44%, and 62.61% respectively, and moisture content ranged from 0.82% to 3.01% which both conform with the specifications of the Philippine National Standards PNS/BAFS 76:2016.  For the majority of coconut sugar processors with product samples available for analysis, the measured particle size, fineness modulus, bulk density, and angle of repose on the average were 557.81µm, 4.20, 578.04kg/m3, and 28.39°, respectively. Additionally, the angle of friction for stainless steel with mirror finish, stainless steel 304, GI1, GI2, plywood (against the grain), and plywood (along the grain) surface had mean values of 44.29°, 41.31°, 42.93°, 42.30°, 45.05°, and 46.21°, respectively.