Cashew nut shells are rich in organic compounds and oils. Courtest Food Unfolded.
When cashew nuts are processed for sale and packaging, the tasty kernels are separated from the shells, and the latter discarded. But a Singapore-based company has come up with a better use for the brittle husks – it uses the constituents to make hand-sanitiser gel. By Jeremy Torr.
Singapore, July 2021. One worrying byproduct of the recent pandemic is the sharp rise in the use of carbon-based hand sanitiser liquids (along with the mountains of discarded face marks.) The use of these products has surged over the last two years, along with the use of alcohol as a key sanitising agent. Neither is sustainable.
Conventional hand sanitisers are harsh on the hands - and the environment. Courtesy Wiki.
To try to cut down on the use of fossil-based products, a group of researchers at Singapore’s Science Park has turned to the humble cashew nut as a bacteria-crushing alternative. They formed a start-up called N&E Innovations, it are taking a new look at conventional approaches to anti-COVID hygiene.
“Through (our) partnerships with (nut processors) we hope to challenge our R&D capabilities to provide sustainable, organic and effective solutions that can benefit our society in the long run,” said Didi Gan, N&E Innovations founder.
Working closely with nut processor Germany-based Intersnack Group, the company is already producing quantities of sanitiser that are not only effective, but also (unlike alcohol based products) kind to the hands and the environment. Intersnack had already been collaborating with Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University Food Science and Technology Programme on waste research, so the tie-up was a natural fit.
Didi Gan, N&E Innovations founder. Courtesy N&E Innovations.
“We are thrilled to work on this (initiative) with N&E Innovations,” says Intersnack Cashew CEO Abel Santos Sáez. “Our core values are well aligned … to continue upholding ethical business practices and also work towards (being) strong advocates for sustainability,” he said.
The magic ingredient in cashew husks, Vi Kang 99, is an active compound synthesised from cashew shell waste. The shells are processed to retrieve and process the testa, a reddish-brown skin covering the kernels. With some 2.1 million tons of cashews produced annually, that’s plenty of raw material. Vietnam alone produces more than 1 million tonnes, and is right on Singapore’s doorstep. But the new process took some working out.
“The cashew waste is transformed through a patent-pending process and is mixed with organic compounds including chitosan (a sugar obtained from the skeletons of shellfish) to produce Vi Kang 99,” explained the company. Then, the role of the compound is to generate Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), a molecule which is naturally found in all living cells and that helps kill bacteria.
When the Vi Kang 99 comes into contact with oxygen and moisture in the air, the newly generated ROS begins to negate the effects of up to 99% of airborne viruses and bacteria. This includes SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, OC43 human coronavirus, H3N2 (Influenza A), EV71 (Enterovirus), Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Staphylococcus aureus as well as many others. Viruses, bacteria, fungi, volatile organic compounds and pollutants are quickly decomposed and converted into water ( H20) and carbon dioxide (CO2).
“I used to work as MD of a textile mill in Malaysia,” explained Gan. “When COVID-19 hit, I … moved back to Singapore (where) we were starting to produce and source fabrics for reusable masks. Then I had this idea, "why don’t we make our own anti-bacterial masks?"
N&E are working on a range of sterile solutions including fabric seating for buses and trains, ticket payment machines, restrooms, and station surfaces. Courtesy N&E Innovations.
Gan contacted her suppliers and gathered together the know-how to co-develop the new molecule into a viable anti-bacterial compound. “We realised it was 100% natural and has a good antibacterial effect,” she said. “That was the birth of N&E Innovation.”
The company has now added the Vi Kang 99 ingredient both to its face mask range, as well as to a new C2+ organic disinfectant range.
The C2+ manufacturing process leans heavily on sustainability and ecosystem maintenance, says the company. “One coat of this organic, plant-based spray disinfects and coats any surface, and provides up to seven days of antibacterial protection, preventing further bacteria growth and maintaining the highest level of sanitisation,” it said in a statement.
That’s the company line – but what do users say? “I love the fruity smell,” said one user. “It doesn't stink of alcohol nor does it dry out my hands. It protects me from viruses for up to 24 hours, and it’s cost-efficient as you need only use it once a day. Best of all it smells good and doesn't dry out my hands like other sanitizers and disinfectants.” And the Singapore Zoo is one of the organisations N&E Innovations has supplied with C2+ commercial-grade disinfectants too.
Gan said her company is already working on new applications for the ground-breaking cashew-based products. They are looking to apply it to surfaces, or products like film wrapped packages, and are actively looking to collaborate with businesses which need that. Additionally, they are working on a one-layer mask suitable for Singapore’s hot and humid weather but that is still thin, breathable and has antimicrobial technologies. The possibilities are almost endless.
“In a way, the pandemic was a good thing for us - it is why N&E Innovations came into being,” said Gan. Good for sustainability too, it seems.