KU students shine at maritime expo

KARACHI:

Organic cosmetics, economical air fryer, tomato powder, and chitosan - a sugar that comes from the outer skeleton of shellfish - attracted attention at the tenth edition of the Pakistan International Maritime Exhibition and Conference (PIMEC), which ended here on Sunday.

The products were developed following research by students of the University of Karachi's departments of pharmacy, food sciences, biotechnology, microbiology, and geology.

The "air fryer" was developed under the supervision of Dr Zubala Yasir Lutfi, an assistant professor at the Department of Food Sciences and Technology.

The air fryer would be sold at two-thirds of the price of the alternatives available in the market.

It will also comparatively less electricity, according to the developers.

"It consumes only 1.5 units of electricity in an hour, while anything fried in it is comparatively healthier because it does not require much oil," they said.

"This air fryer involves advanced electronics and electric systems that help maintain temperature and air ventilation." A team of pharmacy students was lauded for their cosmetic products, especially for skin and hair care, which involve only organic ingredients.

The team members, including SM Hassan Bukhari, Dildar Ali, and Salman Sarwar, said that clinical trials have confirmed that their products are free from toxic ingredients.

"These cosmetics include organic creams that remove blemishes and freckles.

They include low-cost but effective mosquito repellents and hair care products made entirely from natural ingredients," according to the team.

"After successful clinical trials, these products, which are good substitutes for the imported organic cosmetics, can now be manufactured at the industrial scale," they said.

"This will save foreign exchange." Department of Food Sciences student Ahmed Hassan showcased a "distilled tomato powder".

"The shelf life of this tomato powder is one year without any artificial ingredients or preservatives.

The shelf-life can be further extended if preservatives are added," Hassan said.

He added that in terms of nutrition and taste 30 grams of the powder is equivalent to 1kg of tomatoes.

Hassan pointed out that his product could help the trade deficit as tomatoes have to be imported from Iran, China or Afghanistan in case the local produce fails to meet the demand.

He pointed out that those involved in spices import pulp or tomato powder from Iran and China, which costs a lot of foreign exchange.

"Our product also benefits the farmers who are forced to sell their produce at low prices or often waste their crops when the local demand is low," Hassan said.

Dr Minhas, an assistant professor at KU's Department of Biotechnology, introduced chitosan, a sugar that comes from the outer skeleton of shellfish, including crab, lobster, and shrimp.

This exotic sugar is priced at Rs100,000 per kg in the international market as it is used to extend the shelf life of fruits, he said.

Pakistan's food industry, especially fruit exporters, imports chitosan.

Apart from this, chitosan is also used in the manufacture of bandages.

"Our product is completely organic with no known side-effects," Dr Minhas said, adding that they have received a very encouraging response for their products at the exhibition.

We hope that this platform would help the university get some good partnership offers.