Mohamad Roff announces the institute’s achievement at ITEX 2020 during the press conference held at Mardi’s headquarters. On his left is deputy director-general (research) Hasimah Hafiz Ahmad. — Bernama photo
SERDANG: The Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (Mardi)’s innovations, featuring the ‘From Lab to Table’ concept, bagged four gold medals and a silver in the International Invention, Innovation and Technology Exhibition (ITEX) 2020 competition.
Mardi director-general Datuk Dr Mohamad Roff Mohd Noor said Mardi was informed about the results online on Nov 21.
The innovations that won the gold medals were ‘Edible Wrapper for Food Application’; ‘Mardi Sebernas 307’ paddy variety; ‘Katjang-Boer’ goat breed; and ‘Food Innovation for Healthy Ageing’.
Meanwhile, the Close Permanent Immense System (CPIS), as an alternative for effective breeding techniques for mass production of Arundina graminifolia or ‘bamboo orchid’, bagged the silver medal.
“The success proves that the technologies and innovations by Mardi, featuring the ‘From Lab to Table’ concept, not only can be used by the targeted groups, but they are also internationally-recognised as efforts to ensure the country’s food security,” he said when announcing the achievement to the media during a press conference at Mardi’s headquarters here yesterday.
According to Mohamad Roff, the ‘Edible Wrapper for Food Application’ is a film technology that is used in packaging of various food items such as ‘asam pedas’ cubes, sausages, instant drinks and instant ‘nasi kerabu’. The Mardi Sebernas 307 paddy variety is capable of generating high yields of up to 10 tonnes per hectare, moderately resistant against fungus and brown plant hopper (insect) and has reduced dependency on chemical pesticides and insecticides, he said.
“The Katjang-Boer goat is a breed that is suitable for the local climate, highly resistant to diseases and parasites with a better breeding and growing performance.
“For Food Innovation for Healthy Ageing, Mardi has succeeded in producing the first food innovation in Malaysia that is designed for healthy nutrition for the elderly group, containing high protein, high fibre and anthocyanin (blue, violet, or red flavonoid pigment found in plants),” said Mohamad Roff, adding that all the winning innovations had been commercialised in the local market.
Realising the importance of research and development in food security, he said Mardi would continue to develop new technologies in the agricultural and agro-food industries. — Bernama