A water-activated heat pack developed from oyster shells is expected to generate at least NT$10.35 million (US$357,155) annually for the industry, the Fisheries Research Institute said on Monday.
The flameless cooker is made from oyster shells, so it is more environmentally friendly and safer than chemical-based alternatives, and production costs could fall 20 percent, the institute said.
It can be used for a variety of foods, allowing firms to customize instant meal sets, it added.
Photo: Chien Hui-ju, Taipei Times
Taiwan discards about 169,000 tonnes of oyster shells per year, with about 42 percent used for animal feed, 21 percent for fertilizer and 11 percent for seed cultivation, institute assistant researcher Yeh Nien-tzu (葉念慈) said.
As these uses do not provide much “added value,” many tonnes of shells are left to pile up in ocean breeding pools, Yeh said.
The institute in 2018 began introducing ways to better utilize the shells in the hope of advancing a circular economy, she added.
Researchers found a way to transform the calcium carbonate in the shells into calcium oxide on contact with water, emitting heat in the process, Yeh said.
In six to seven minutes, a packet heats water to 90°C, which in turn heats an ingredient packet in an upper tray to about 50°C for 20 minutes, the institute said.
The institute spent a year developing the flameless cooker, then paired it with a mixed seafood packet it developed to create an instant meal set that seafood producers can easily adjust to their needs, Yeh said, adding that the institute is applying for a patent.
Each packet costs NT$12.7 to produce, NT$2.3 cheaper than other self-heating packets, the institute said.
Costa Rica sent a group of intelligence officials to Taiwan for a short-term training program, the first time the Central American country has done so since the countries ended official diplomatic relations in 2007, a Costa Rican media outlet reported last week. Five officials from the Costa Rican Directorate of Intelligence and Security last month spent 23 days in Taipei undergoing a series of training sessions focused on national security, La Nacion reported on Friday, quoting unnamed sources. The Costa Rican government has not confirmed the report. The Chinese embassy in Costa Rica protested the news, saying in a statement issued the same
Taiwan is to extend its visa-waiver program for Philippine passport holders for another year, starting on Aug. 1, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said on Friday. Lin made the announcement during a reception in Taipei marking the 127th anniversary of Philippine independence and the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) in Taiwan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. The decision reflected Taiwan’s commitment to deepening exchanges with the Philippines, the statement cited Lin as saying, adding that it was a key partner under the New Southbound Policy launched in 2016. Lin also expressed hope
Temperatures in New Taipei City’s Sindian District (新店) climbed past 37°C yesterday, as the Central Weather Administration (CWA) issued heat alerts for 16 municipalities, warning the public of intense heat expected across Taiwan. The hottest location in Taiwan was in Sindian, where the mercury reached 37.5°C at about 2pm, according to CWA data. Taipei’s Shilin District (士林) recorded a temperature of 37.4°C at noon, Taitung County’s Jinfeng Township (金峰) at 12:50 pm logged a temperature of 37.4°C and Miaoli County’s Toufen Township (頭份) reached 36.7°C at 11:40am, the CWA said. The weather agency yesterday issued a yellow level information notice for Taipei, New
CASE: Prosecutors have requested heavy sentences, citing a lack of remorse and the defendants’ role in ‘undermining the country’s democratic foundations’ Five people affiliated with the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), including senior staff from the party’s Taipei branch, were indicted yesterday for allegedly forging thousands of signatures to recall two Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers. Those indicted include KMT Taipei chapter director Huang Lu Chin-ru (黃呂錦茹), secretary-general Chu Wen-ching (初文卿) and secretary Yao Fu-wen (姚富文), the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office said in a news release. Prosecutors said the three were responsible for fabricating 5,211 signature forms — 2,537 related to the recall of DPP Legislator Wu Pei-yi (吳沛憶) and 2,674 for DPP Legislator Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) — with forged entries accounting for
RSS