Kerala: Tribal groups to be trained to manufacture and market premium infusion-drink mixes

KOCHI: Dried guava leaf powder, dried passion fruit flowers, dried hibiscus flowers and dried passion fruit pulp. These are some of the six infusion drinks that a Kanthallur-based company has received licence to sell across the country. Significantly, tribal communities living in the hills of Kanthallur will be trained to prepare and sell these premium products, so that they can benefit financially. The move is also expected to promote neglected and underutilised plant species of the region. “The initiative aims to achieve nutritional security. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has a programme called ‘Solutions for Nutrient Insecurity’. It has declared 2019-28 as the ‘Decade of Nutrient-Security’. As part of this, we got the central licence for the six products,” said M M Abbas, advisory board member of the non-profit Organic Kerala Charitable Trust. These products are manufactured by Tropical Evergreen Herbals, Kanthallur, as an initiative of the Rural Agricultural Innovation Study Centre, Kanthallur. Abbas said the plan is to train the tribal communities of Kanthallur to prepare these premium products and pack them in glass bottles. “Raw materials such as guava leaves and chembarthi flowers (hibiscus) are available in abundance in Kanthallur. This will provide a source of income to the communities as these products are in great demand in premium shops,” Abbas said. He said infusion drinks are becoming popular in markets such as the US and Germany. Another product coming to the market is dried plums. “We are testing,” Abbas said. Infusion is the process of extracting chemical compounds or flavours from plant material in a solvent such as water. Instead of sunlight, dehydration machines are used. Abbas said there is a huge market for such products across the country. “As far as guava leaves are concerned, they are dried, dehydrated and powdered. Three grams are added to 200 ml of boiled water and after 15-30 minutes it is ready to drink. The drink is rich in micronutrients essential for the body,” he said. The 80 gram guava leaves product sold in glass bottles costs Rs 400, while Abbas said a similar product in the international market costs around Rs 1,000 for 100 grams.