BRIN develops ant sugar processing technology from sorghum, an alternative to sugar
Sorghum is in the same family as sugarcane but offers more flexible uses. In addition to sugar, it can be used for bioethanol and feed. All parts of the plant can be utilised.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) is developing equipment technology for processing ant sugar based on sweet sorghum sap as an alternative sugar source, while also aiming to increase the added value of local food commodities.
Senior Researcher from the Centre for Research on Manufacturing Equipment Technology at BRIN, Sandi Darniadi, explained in a statement in Jakarta on Monday that sorghum was selected as an alternative source due to its great potential as a raw material for food and energy, although it has not been optimally utilised so far.
“Sorghum is in the same family as sugarcane, but its utilisation is more flexible. In addition to sugar, it can also be used for bioethanol and feed. All parts of the plant can be utilised,” he said.
Although the sugar content of sorghum is lower than that of sugarcane, around 11-15 percent, Sandi stated that this plant remains promising as an alternative sugar source, especially for farmer and small business scales.
Processing ant sugar from sorghum is carried out through a series of integrated machines, starting from pressing the stems to producing the final product in the form of ant sugar.
The sap is then processed through two different approaches: using a vacuum evaporator and an open pan cooker. The vacuum evaporator operates in a closed system at a lower temperature, around 60-70 degrees Celsius, producing sorghum liquid sugar or syrup.
Meanwhile, the open pan cooker is used to produce ant sugar. This process occurs at a higher temperature, around 90-100 degrees Celsius, with a longer cooking time so that the water content is reduced to 5-6 percent and sugar crystals form.
“To produce ant sugar from 15 litres of sap, it takes about 3-5 hours, depending on the initial sugar content,” said Sandi.
Sandi mentioned that one of the main advantages of this technology is energy efficiency. While traditional sugar production generally uses firewood, BRIN’s technology utilises gas as a heat source, which is considered more economical and easier to control.
In addition, all the equipment is designed using food-grade stainless steel material, making it more hygienic and meeting food safety standards. This is an added value compared to traditional tools that generally still use non-food-grade materials.
The equipment design is also made modular and easy to move, making it suitable for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). With a maximum capacity of around 30 litres of sap per process, this technology is considered ideal for farmer groups or small business actors in the regions.