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AHEAD- Result Area 03

 

Background

An incredible amount of municipal solid waste (MSW) is produced in Sri Lanka and elsewhere in the world. Consequently, effective and sustainable waste management system should be adopted in order to minimize negative consequences of garbage accumulation. The Black Solider Fly (Diptera: Hermetia illucens), a harmless insect proven enormous bio waste degradable ability and animal feed in worldwide.

Project aims to ease commitments to establish cleaner environment under greener economies allowing BSFL to accelerate decomposing of organic wastes to solidify the sustainable integrated organic farming system in Sri Lanka. Further, the utilization of Black Solider Fly larvae system to produce low cost feed grade animal protein.

Five basic objectives of the project

1. Preparation of commercialized BSFL (Hermetia illucens) units from domestic model to mass production model

2. BSFL as a substitute to fishmeal for commercial broiler feed (Gallus domesticus domesticus)

3. BSFL as a feed ingredient for pond fish culture

4. BSFL as a manure management/resource recovery tool Integrated farming

5. Investigation of sociological impact of the research and cost benefit analysis

 

Outcomes of the Project

1. Commercialization of domestic waste compost bin as a mass production model

2. Production of high valued feed grade protein as the replacer of fish meal in broiler feed

3. Production of high valued feed grade protein as the replacer of fish meal in aqua feed

4. Production of organic fertilizer, slurry and liquid fertilizer and healthy organic farm

products at commercial level

 

Staff

Project Coordinator: Dr. Manjula P Sumith Magamage

Deputy Coordinators: Dr. A.W. Wijerathna

The Research Team: Prof. PI. Yapa, Dr. TSP Jayaweera, Dr. (Mrs.) HAD Ruwandeepika,

                                      Dr.M.A.J.P Munasinghe, Mr. G. Weerakkody, Dr. DD Wickramanayake

                                      Dr. R.K Muthukumarana, Dr. C.N Walpita, Ms M.D.J.W Wijesinghe,

                                      Mr. P.P.S.K Patabandi and Ms. R.N.N. Perera

Project Assistants: Ms. PK. Lakmini

Research Assistants:  Ms. E.W.D.M. Ellawidana and Mr. M.K.C Priyadarshana

 

Progress

BSFL larvae brooding and installation of feed processing unit and broiler unit (In progress)

 

Background

Ceylon Cinnamon (Cinamomum Zylanicum (old botanical name)/ Cinamomum verum ) a plant indigenous to Sri Lanka is a moderately size bushy ever green tree. In traditional medicine Cinnamon is considered a remedy for respiratory, digestive and gynecological ailments (Ranasinghe et al. 2013). Sri Lanka is producing 70% of the global Pure Cinnamon production in the world being the largest producer. The Ceylon Cinnamon referred to as "sweet cinnamon “, “true cinnamon”, and “pure cinnamon" due to its superiority over the Cassia cinnamon variety in the global market (SLEDB 2018).Cinnamon grown and produced in Sri Lanka has acquired long standing reputation in the international market due to its unique, quality, color, flavor, and aroma associated with the geographical origin. In current global market, Cinnamomum cassia (Chinese cinnamon) is widely using over many products. However, Ceylon cinnamon has superior qualities to Cassia type. Limited efforts in value addition to Ceylon cinnamon cause to low level of income to the country and provide space to misuse the Ceylon cinnamon reputed brand name. Accelerating Higher Education Expansion and Development (AHEAD) is a World Bank funded Sri Lankan government operation funded for the project “DEVELOPMENT OF NOVEL BEVERAGE TYPES WITH CEYLON CINNAMON, (Cinnamomum zelanicum) (STEM) (AHEAD/RIC No : 16) under RIC (Research Innovation and Commercialization) project (LKR 50 millions).

Objectives

  • Promote the pure cinnamon value-added products in the global market and being competitive as the producer of pure cinnamon.
  • To innovate, improve, and expand Sri Lankan value added products in beverage industry with unique products as carbonated drinks, herbal teas, wine, and latte with Ceylon cinnamon.
  • Identify the most applicable extraction method of pure cinnamon in food/ beverage applications that gives its optimum functional values.
  • Develop a formula with healthy ingredients by appropriate combinations that gives a unique and satisfying flavors.
  • Manufacture the suggested products in a safe, healthy, and sustainable manner, after the research and development process.
  • Manufacture the products in an attractive and profitable way to approach high-end market.
  • Introduce the products to the local exporters in the beverage industry
  • Introduce the products to the high-end customer in foreign market starting from the East-Asian countries and expand to EU and USA markets.

 

Staff

Coordinator             - Prof. D.A.M De Silva

                                   Contact - +94718307499/ desilva.achini@yahoo.co.uk

Deputy Coordinator -Dr. R. K. C. Jeewanthi

                                    Contact - +94774314067/ chatu03@gmail.com

Quality Experts          -Dr. M.A.J.P Munasighe

                                     Contact - jagath@agri.sab.ac.lk

Researcher                 - Ms. M.S Elapatha

                                     Contact - +94710818599/ maheshwari.elapata@gmail.com

Researcher                 - Ms. K. K. H. M. Rathnayake

                                     Contact - +94711538496/ kkhmr222rathnayake@gmail.com

Research Assistant   -Mr. W.M.T.B Weddagala

                                       Contact - +94713549462/ tharaka_92@hotmail.com

Research Assistant    - Mr. Janaranjana Ekanayaka

                                       Contact - +94712476733/ janaranjanaekanayaka@gmail.com

Postdoctoral fellow   -Yet to recruit

 

Progress

Laboratory installation (In Progress)

Cinnamon extraction production (Completed)

Sensory panel training (1st Stage Completed)

Product formula finalization (2 products in progress)

Patent & Copyright application (completed for 2 products)

Publications

1) Communications (abstract) submitted

Weddagala, W.M.T.B., De Silva, D.A.M., Jeewanthi, R,K, C., and Rajapaksha, R.H.N. (2019, September). Investigate the Product Harms Crisis in Ceylon Cinnamon. Paper submitted to Agri-food 2019 Conference

(Submitted) (Presented) (Won Best Presenter Award of the Conference)

2) Number of research publications submitted to peer reviewed internationally indexed journals

Achini M. De Silva, Rends Jeewanthi, Heshani Rajapaksha, Tharaka B. Weddagala, Naoki Hirotsu, Jagath Munasinghe, Bun-ichi Shimizu (2019). Clean Vs Dirty Labels: Transparency And Authenticity of the Labels of Ceylon Cinnamon. Sustainable Alternatives for Food Preservatives and Additives: Frontiers, (Submitted)

3) Number of research publications as books or monographs submitted to reputed international publishers

Jeewanthi,R.K.C, De Silva, D.A.M. & Weddagala, W.M.T.B. (2019), Value Creation and

Food Products of Cinnamon, (Chapter 15), Germany, Springer.

Participated in

Shilpa Sena EXhibition ශිල්පසේනා 2019

InnoTech 2020 - National Innovation and Technology Exhibition

Agriculture, Agrotechnology and food technology Invention-Investor Linking Programme