We are delighted to extend our heartfelt congratulations to Form 4 students of Sekolah Menengah Paragon — Tan Yu Ming, Christine Lian Zhi Qing, Lee Yan Jie, Tan Yong Han, Khor Xian Yi, and Shawn Lai Sun Quan who won the prestigious Silver Award at the Virtual Innovative Competition 2024 for their outstanding project, “Production of Natural Food Dyes: Dehydration or Oven Dry.” Under the guidance of teacher advisor, Dr. Tan Yong Chee, they explored sustainable alternatives to synthetic dyes by investigating natural dye production methods using oven drying and dehydration.
Their research revealed that dyes extracted through dehydration were particularly effective for solid food products due to their superior dispersion, while those produced via oven drying were more suitable for liquid applications because of their enhanced solubility.
Utilizing natural sources such as carrots, oranges, limes, dragon fruits, and pumpkins, the team demonstrated that natural dyes offer significant benefits, including reduced allergenic potential and minimized environmental impact, catering to the increasing consumer demand for synthetic additive-free products.
This innovative project underscores the potential of natural dyes as renewable resources that can improve the sustainability and healthiness of food processing methods. Their findings, published in APS Proceedings Volume 15 (DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.12797356), emphasize the importance of future research focusing on new natural colour sources and enhancing dye properties to expand their range of applications and stability.
We are incredibly proud of these students for their exceptional achievement and their
dedication to sustainability. Congratulations on your well-deserved success!