Project

Marketing and processing of pineapple

Marketing and processing of pineapple


Processing and marketing of pineapple: Quality performance in Benin pineapple chain



PhD-fellow: Mênouwesso Harold Hounhouigan, Ir, Benin (Sandwich PhD)

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Harold.hounhouigan@wur.nl


Supervisors:

Prof. Dr. M.A.J.S Van Boekel

Prof. Dr. Hans C.M. Van Trijp

Dr. Ir. Anita R. Linnemann

Dr. Paul T. M. Ingenbleek

Prof. Mohamed M. Soumanou


Project term: Octobre 2008 – Octobre 2012


Sponsor: INREF/NUFFIC project



Introduction

Close to 50% of the Beninese population lives below the dollar-a-day international poverty line. Some 29% of children under 5 are malnourished and life expectancy is 55 years. The economy of Benin is based essentially on the agricultural sector. Due to the national and international difficulties in cotton chains, the Beninese government has decided to encourage diversification of agricultural products for exportation. One of Benin’s most promising crops for exportation is pineapple. Pineapple is produced all the year by about 10,000 producers but only 1.5 – 2% of the production is exported to Europe. Pineapple produced in Benin is acknowledged to be of good sensorial quality but the juice produced in Benin at present is very variable in terms of quality and does not meet the European standards. Therefore, the research question is: How can pineapple be processed and marketed in such a way that the resulting quality meets the expectation of (inter)national consumers with respect to sensory properties and shelf life, taking the possibilities of small-scale farmers into account?



Aim

This PhD project focuses on improving technological and marketing aspects of pineapple production in Benin by research on processed pineapple products and a better match between the different pineapple quality classes and the consumers.



Approach

1. Analyze the marketing system in Benin by evaluating a base-of-the-pyramid product introduction ( the pasteurized pineapple juice)

2. Assess the impact of heat treatment on pineapple juice quality (Kinetic study)