Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia is one of the world’s top five papaya producers, yet tons of papaya skins are discarded every year due to limited culinary use—contributing to the country’s mounting food waste problem. But what if this overlooked waste could help solve multiple challenges at once?
This project explores the innovative use of papain, a natural enzyme found in the latex of papaya skin, as a biochemical meat tenderizer. When extracted and processed into powder, papain breaks down tough muscle fibers—transforming lower-grade cuts into tender, market-ready meat. The implications are both economic and environmental as it simultaneously addresses key issues in food waste, environmental sustainability, and community empowerment.
In collaboration with PT. Great Giant Foods, research was done in the lab where papain from Sunpride papaya skins was extracted and tested on beef samples. The results? Significant proteolytic activity led to improvement in meat texture—confirming papain’s effectiveness as a natural alternative to industrial tenderizers.
The experiment has unlocked a high-value product that enhances meat tenderness and this means lower-quality cuts are more palatable, marketable, and accessible to consumers.
Furthermore, the process is low-cost, accessible, and scalable for smallholder farmers and local entrepreneurs. Thus, it opens doors for new income streams, promotes food security, and transforms agricultural waste into high-value, climate-smart products.
Beyond its culinary benefits, papain also delivers measurable environmental impact. Transforming just 100 kg of papaya skins into meat tenderizer can prevent the release of up to 930 kg of CO₂ equivalent, reducing methane emissions and industrial carbon costs. When scaled, this innovation also supports Indonesia’s transition to a circular economy and contributes to national climate action goals.
This initiative will be featured at the Jakarta Scholar Symposium, with live demonstrations, papaya enzyme samples, and educational materials. It’s a story of how local innovation can tackle global challenges—Papain represents not only a scientific breakthrough in sustainable meat processing but it is also a model for turning waste into economic and ecological value in Indonesia and beyond.
Reporter: PR Wire
Editor: PR Wire
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