Machinery, equipment and tools that are supported by PMUC are considered an investment in infrastructure for the development of agricultural raw materials to ultimately lead to full-scale industrial level. They are important tools in expanding competitiveness starting from the local level up to the international level. The primary objective in this project is to prepare research tools that are necessary to meet the needs of entrepreneurs in the southern region. It was born as a prototype from agricultural produce to ultimately create high-value extracts. Examples of these tools include grinder/reducer, high-speed grinder, sieve shaker, vertical powder packing machine, vacuum packing machine, drying machine, centrifugal drying machine, horizontal centrifugal liquid separator, Chromatography extractor, microwave extraction machine, pressing machine, tablet press machine, etc.
The project to expand the scale of research on high-value extracts, transferring technology towards industrial application, is Another project from Prince of Songkla University, which received research funding from PMUC to develop necessary infrastructure for high-value food production to cover all regions of the country. The project goal is to provide research tools for producing extracts from local raw materials in order to expand the scale of production to the industrial level, as well as to transfer technology to entrepreneurs interested in the development of high-value extracts from local agricultural raw materials.
Additionally, there are also activities to develop the potential of food entrepreneurs to create a competitive advantage. This is a training course for entrepreneurs interested in applying research on extracts towards commercialization. Many other high-value extract prototypes from agricultural produce include extracts from coffee silver skin, with high chlorogenic acid content; extracts from mango peel or Mahachanok mango peel, with a high content of mangiferin; rice bran oil from Sangyod Rice, extracted by using the Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Extraction technology; cannabis flower extract; Beta-glucan extract from golden needle mushroom; concentrated extracts and powder from Kratom leafs; and many more product highlights, such as Maetom Kong Aroy Co., Ltd., an entrepreneur who received technology transfer from the project, and was successful in producing prototypes of high-value food products.
Ms. Sasithon Ungsakul, owner of a mango orchard in Satun Province, who initiated to expand the business of selling processed mango, using the brand name from her mother’s name “Maetom” with the production of various products from the 500 rais mango orchards in the province of Satun and nearby provinces. Previously the most commonly known mango products included dried mango preserves, three-flavored candied mango, mango cream cheese crackers with real traditional Satun production methods, combined with standardized processed-fruit production process, making high-quality fruit products available both domestically and internationally since 2019.
Following the Zero Waste principle, wanting to reduce waste from mango peels, Ms.Sasithon brought her agenda to consult with Prince of Songkla University, and Maetom Kong Aroy Co., Ltd. has since received technology transfer to expand the research scale towards industrial production, using necessary tools available in the laboratory facilities and the prototype factory at the Southern Science Park, itself a product of cooperative development of industrial infrastructure, which received technology transfer from infrastructure research at the national level. Benefiting from strategic directions from PMUC, Maetom brand did not stop at only agricultural products, but continued on to developing functional foods and cosmetics based on mango peel extracts, which are high in mangiferin, with the ability to relieve stress and fatigue, in addition to its antibacterial properties. The end result was a product line that responds to the rising trend of the new generation with a ready-to-drink booster, under the Power Mango brand coming to market soon.
