[Unpad Media Channel] Propolis has long been used as a health supplement. Not only to cure disease, propolis can also increase the body’s immunity toward illnesses.
Although it is a herbal supplement, many people refuse to consume propolis for its bitter taste and pungent odor. This becomes an opportunity for an Unpad professor at the Department of Food Industry Technology from the Faculty of Agroindustrial Technology, Nandi Sukri, M.Si., to develop propolis in powder form.
“Usually, people consume propolis like they were taking medicine, even though the benefits are plenty, from medical treatment to increasing immunity,” said Nandi.
Since 2017, Nandi has focused in developing research on propolis powder using the technique of microencapsulation. This method is a technology used to glaze or cover a substance with a layer of polymer wall until it becomes a micro-sized particle.
It is hoped that the glazing process through microencapsulation can preserve the active compounds contained in the propolis so the health benefits do not diminish. Aside from that, the method also allows the propolis powder to stay stable throughout the manufacturing and storing process, enabling it to be developed to become an ingredient for food fortification.
The development of a propolis powder named “Propobees” was a project funded by the National Research and Innovation Agency’s CPPBT program. Propobees was then pushed to become a startup through funding by the Startup Inovasi Indonesia (SII) program.
Nandi explained further that the application of propolis powder has not been extensively done. Most propolis products are sold as liquids. However, research on propolis powder is plentiful. There are even propolis powder products sold on the market.
“We study competitor products. Most propolis sold in capsules (powder) tend to be medicinal,” he explained.
Seeing how powder products are more often sold as medicine, Nandi caught on the opportunity. As an academic with a background in food technology science, he wanted to combine propolis powder, basically a nutraceutical product, to become a functional food product with benefits.
In its development, the propolis which resulted from Nandi’s research is able to be a health drink that should be consumed routinely.
Targeting Millennial Markets
Nandi explained that Propobees is made into a number of variants. The first variant is pure propolis powder. This product contains propolis of premium quality packaged in a capsule.
The dosage of this product is equal to one recommended dose of liquid propolis. Therefore, this product is suitable to be consumed when one is ill or their immune system declines.
Meanwhile, the other variant comes in the form of oral powder or instant drink. This is Nandi’s innovation. The propolis powder can be made into an instant drink so it is easier to consume.
“We are trying to increase propolis consumption in the form of a healthy drink. The aim is to increase overall propolis consumption in Indonesia,” said Nandi.
The propolis powder is fortified into several instant drink powders, including chocolate, latte, green tea, and original taste. The dose in the drink product is smaller than that of the premium one. “That is because it is not meant to be medicine or therapeutic, but to protect and better one’s immune system,” he added.
The combination with instant drinks was meant to make it more palatable for people to consume propolis. Especially with trending drink flavors, Nandi is targeting this product to be consumed by millennials. “So the flavor is tasty, but it is still healthy,” he added.
Nandi made sure the fortification process would not affect the nutritional value of the propolis. The propolis provided is one that already has an outer layer, so it will not lose its health benefits when mixed with other products.
Aside from that, although it has been combined with other ingredients, the experience of drinking propolis is still there. The instant powder product has been tested on people who had consumed, or routinely consume, liquid propolis. The results show that the unique feel is still there.
“Even though it’s a green tea drink, the suggestion that you’re drinking propolis is still there,” said Nandi.
Market Exposure
Currently, there is huge interest in production beyond Propobees. If it is successfully commercialized, Propobees will become the first propolis product in the world to use microencapsulation technology, as well as the first to be sold as instant drinks.
Nandi explained that with the technology, aside from providing a solution to problems faced by propolis products on the market, Propobees also offers excellence and uniqueness in the form of agreeable aroma and taste. Consuming Propobees is akin to enjoying a tasty drink. It is easy to serve, disperses perfectly in water, the active compound will not break down, and it is also more efficiently and cheaply distributed. (arm/ICP)*
