The pineapple fruit waste, also called bran, are being exploited as feedstuffs for different classes of animals such as poultry, broiler and cow.
The waste is, however, highly perishable and is, therefore, processed either by ensiling, drying or pelleting to improve their keeping quality and nutritional value for extended storage.
The nutritive value of pineapple fruit waste varies with the ratios of the different by-products contained, the cultivar, stage of ripening and the juice extraction technology employed.
For example, the amount of nutrients in pineapple waste decreases with the efficiency of the juice extraction.
Production of dairy cow pellets from pineapple leaf waste
Converting pineapple waste into pellets is a suitable method in handling such waste where the pellet form can increase the bulk density, improve the storability, as well as reduce the cost of transportation.
Furthermore, feed pellets are easier to control over the desired feed ration with the nutritional needs of the animals.
Process
- Remove damaged pineapples.
- Clean, peel and slice the selected pieces for drying.
- Place the slices on trays fitted in a solar dryer for drying.
- Grind the dry pineapple waste to a size of 0.8mm to form powder.
- Sieve the powder using a 800 micrometre (μm) mesh size sieve.
- On a dry matter basis, the fresh pineapple waste contains 4% to 8% crude protein, 40% to 75% soluble sugars, pectin and low amounts of minerals. There is, therefore, a need to add extra protein and mineral sources when formulating pineapple fruit waste-based diets for animals.
- To improve the protein and mineral content of the pellets, add 15% Mexican sunflower (Tithonia diversifolia) leaf meal and 3% mineral premix to the pineapple residue powder.
- Add 10% molasses to serve as a binder.
- Compact pineapple leaf powder, Mexican sunflower leaf meal, mineral powder and molasses into pellets in the twin-screw extruder.
