Native of : China

Properties :

• Intensely sweet
• Used as a non-caloric natural sweetener
• Mogrosides are cause of sweetness

Other details :

• Demand for monk fruit is gradually increasing in the international market
• Approved as a high-intensity sweetening agent in Japan
• Approved as non-caloric sweet taste extract, generally recognized as safe (GRAS) non-nutritive sweetener, flavour enhancer, and food ingredient in the USA

What is in news : The ‘monk fruit’ from China, which is known for its properties as non-caloric natural sweetener, was Monday introduced for field trials in Himachal Pradesh by the Palampur-based Council of Scientific Research and Industrial Technology-Institute of Himalayan Bio-resource Technology (CSIR-IHBT) in Kullu.

Info:

• Seeds were obtained from China
• Fifty seedlings were planted in the fields of progressive farmer Manav Khullar from Raison village for field trials and CSIR-IHBT signed a ‘Material Transfer Agreement’ with Manav.

The economic benefits of the new crop are estimated to be between Rs 3 lakh to Rs 3.5 lakh per hectare.