Research: UTM Research on BirdNest Cleaning Technique !!!

Found at: http://www.cepp.utm.my/rnd_bird.php

I stumbled onto this interesting topic:


Research abstract

Edible bird’s nest or “Yan Wo” is a salivary secretion during breeding season of a male sea swifts.

This sticky secretion is regurgitated to form the bird’s nest. In modern and ancient China, edible bird’s nests are considered nutritious and therapeutic.

At present, Hong Kong is the largest official consumer of bird’s nest, with the annual consumption of USD 25 million.

Malaysia is the third largest raw bird’s nest producer after Thailand and Indonesia. However, little research has been carried out in bird’s nest cleaning method which hamper the growth of the industry.

The harvested bird’s nest consisted of sand, feathers, egg shell and other impurities. The conventional cleaning process is by separating the large feathers from the nest matrix with a pair of forceps.

The fine feathers are removed by floatation technique using vegetables oil. The conventional method result in a considerable wastage (30% w/w).

In addition, the used of bleaching agent to clean the material caused nutritional lost. Therefore, an efficient and safe method for bird’s nest cleaning was developed.

The method allows reduction in processing time and high recovery of the edible bird’s nest. The new process involves dissolution of the harvested bird’s nest, filtration and freeze drying.

Finally, purified and dried bird’s nest was obtained. The process is expected to reduce the cost and consumers are able to procure a valuable nutraceutical product at a lower price.

With this new developed technique, bird’s nest can be used as an intermediate material for the natural high quality nutraceutical such as Epidermal Growth Factor.


Invention
- An efficient and safe method for bird’s nest cleaning has been developed.

- The method allows reduction in processing time and high recovery of the edible bird’s nest.

- The new process involves dissolution of the harvested bird’s nest, filtration, precipitation and freeze drying. Finally, purified and dried bird’s nest was obtained.


Benefits of the project

- The process is expected to reduce the cost and consumers are able to procure a valuable nutraceutical product at a lower price.

- With this new developed technique, bird’s nest can be used as an intermediate material for the natural high quality nutraceutical product.

- Reduction in processing time and High recovery (30-45%) of the edible bird’s nest.

Unquote:

I think the idea to come out with a scientific method to process the birdnest is brilliant.

I was inform that one of the biggest headeach in doing processing job is the amount of kilo lost after the process job. Depending on the type of raw birdnests, U might loose as high as 2 out of 3.

U might gain a bit due to the wetness but the total lost is considerable if U do not have experience workers and the right equipment.

This research done by UTM is a good and marvelous.

There shud me more research done on many other aspect of birdnest breading, processing of raw nests, transformation of these valuable nest into medicien and many more.

We should talk to Tan Seri Dato Mohidin Yassin to perhap provide suitable grant for this kind of research for Malaysia.