Mangoes are mostly hawked and sold in small quantities for individual consumption or get wasted every year in Nigeria (unfortunately).
Mangoes can be processed at two stages of maturity. Green fruit can be used to make dehydrated products, while ripe mangoes can be processed into canned and frozen slices, purée, juices, nectar and various dried products which can be further processed into many other products for home use industries(e.g baby food).
Mango is plenteous all over Nigeria especially in Benue state where it usually goes to waste due to lack of preservative activities
Because the fruit has a short storage life and is highly seasonal, processing mangoes into preservable forms is definitely worth it, as this sweet flavored fruit is not only unique but in high demand in the country all year round.
1. Mangoe slices: Which can be eaten wholly.
2.canned mango slices which can be eaten in scoops, made into smoothies used in ice cream making, beverages and soft drinks, candies etc.
3. Specially dried mangoes which can be used in cakes and other confectionaries.
Mangoes can also be used to extract nutrients such as citric acid for medicinal purposes .
Mangoe Purée is the most valuable product of mangoe fruits.
Mangoes are processed into purée for re-manufacturing into products such as nectar, juice, squash, jam, jelly and dehydrated products. The purée can be preserved by chemical means, or frozen, or canned and stored in barrels. This allows a supply of raw materials during the remainder of the year when fresh mangoes are not available.
Mango purée can be frozen, canned or stored in barrels for later processing. In all these cases, heating is necessary to preserve the quality of the mango purée. In one process, purée is pumped through a plate heat exchanger and heated to 90°C for 1 min and cooled to 35° C before being filled into 30 lb tins with polyethylene liners and frozen at -23.50 C.
Which ever area of mango processing you choose to invest in, the market is available in Nigeria its worth knowing that you can always innovate.
Advanced and professional skill in mango processing is highly needed in Nigeria to produce hygienic and quality products to meet the market demands.
Incidentally, Train Nigeria Learn Nigeria, an international skill transfer program in advanced technology has included Agriculture and Food processing as one of its courses for the Asia/ Australia 2018 project. you can find out more at learnnigeria.org
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