Curdlan Innovation Cuts Pineapple Jam Production Time by Two-Thirds While Maintaining Quality

A breakthrough in fruit preservation technology could transform pineapple jam production by cutting cooking time significantly while maintaining product quality and reducing costs. Researchers from Universiti Sains Malaysia and Mountains of the Moon University have identified curdlan as a functional alternative to pectin that addresses multiple challenges in jam manufacturing.

The study, published on July 18, 2025, in Food Quality and Safety (DOI: 10.1093/fqsafe/fyaf033), tested pineapple jams prepared with varying concentrations of curdlan up to 1.5%. The findings revealed that the highest curdlan concentration reduced cooking time from three hours to just one hour while strengthening texture, reducing water loss, and improving stability. This efficiency gain stems from curdlan's ability to bind water, accelerate soluble solids accumulation, and form dense gel networks.

Pineapple represents a significant challenge for jam producers as the world's third most-produced tropical fruit. Nearly one-third of pineapple harvests are lost after picking due to the fruit's highly perishable nature. Traditional jam production relies heavily on pectin, which is not only expensive and limited in supply but also naturally scarce in pineapple flesh. This makes pineapple jam production technically challenging and costly for manufacturers who struggle to balance consistency, stability, and production costs.

The research team prepared four jam formulations containing 0%, 0.5%, 1%, and 1.5% curdlan and examined cooking efficiency, texture, color, and consumer acceptance. The results showed that curdlan not only improved physical and structural properties but also maintained sensory qualities. The jams displayed reduced syneresis—liquid separation that can spoil consistency—and lower water activity, both critical for safe storage. Color measurements showed improvements in brightness, redness, and yellowness, while texture tests revealed firmer, less sticky jams.

Microscopic imaging confirmed that curdlan created compact, well-structured networks that reinforced product stability. Most importantly, a panel of 45 untrained tasters reported no significant differences in flavor, color, or overall acceptability across the samples. Interestingly, jams with 0.5% curdlan received the highest scores for spreadability, highlighting a balance between firmness and consumer-friendly texture.

Lead author Shin-Yong Yeoh stated that curdlan could be a game-changer for fruit jam production by improving texture and stability while reducing cooking time. The research provides a low-cost and versatile alternative to pectin that doesn't compromise quality. The full study is available at https://doi.org/10.1093/fqsafe/fyaf033.

Beyond pineapple applications, curdlan's ability to shorten cooking time points to lower energy use and faster processing across the fruit preserves industry. Its strong gelling properties may help reduce post-harvest fruit waste by stabilizing perishable crops. For manufacturers, switching to curdlan could cut costs by replacing expensive pectin, while consumers would benefit from affordable jams with the same taste and appeal they expect. Further research into industrial scalability and shelf-life stability will determine curdlan's potential for wider commercial adoption across food systems.