The Raw Material Research and Development Council (RMRDC) has partnered with two private sector operators to promote the ginger value chain and maximize the its capacity to provide jobs, improve gross domestic product (GDP) and create wealth for the country.
This move was made known by RMRDC Director-General H. D. Ibrahim in a public statement, through which he disclosed that the council plans to collaborate with the two companies to promote exportable ginger products. Among the goods being promoted, ginger oleoresin is an important secondary raw material in the pharmaceutical, food and beverage industries.
Ibrahim expanded on the partnership, which involves Belphins Nigeria Limited, a company situated in Kafanchan, Kaduna State who will produce ginger oleoresin, and Tiger Foods Limited, a major player in the processing of other value-added ginger products, located in Onitsha, Anambra State.
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Ginger oleoresin, commercially known as gingering, is a liquid good extracted from powdered ginger using organic solvents such as alcohol or acetone. It exhibits antioxidant, antibacterial and antifungal properties and is thought to protect against hazards like food-borne pathogens.
The ingredient has diverse applications, appearing in food flavorings, confectionaries and perfume, as well as in industrial and pharmaceutical products like aromatics, carminatives, stomachics and stimulants.
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Following an earlier advocacy meeting in Ikeja, Lagos State organized by the Institute of Public Analysts of Nigeria (IPAN) on the utilization of locally produced ginger oleoresin, it was recommended that the council liaise with the Standards Organization of Nigeria to develop a national standard for oleoresin.
According to the director-general, the outcome of laboratory analyses carried out on samples of oleoresin from Belphins Nigeria at the IPAN and the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control formed the basis for the private sector’s advocacy and action.
