University Scientists To Make Slug Pellets Using Apple Pomace Thanks To Bulmers, Strongbow, Jaques and Scrumpy Jack Cider

Scientists at Glyndŵr University believe they have discovered a novel way to ensure that what is left of the apple is used after Bulmers cider has extracted the juice – by reformulating the pulp into eco-friendly slug pellets.

The university’s Industrial Biopolymer Knowledge Transfer Centre (IBKTC) has been commissioned by Heineken, makers of Strongbow and Bulmers cider, to find new uses for apple pomace.

The firm produces 300 million litres of cider each year which leave a large volume of pomace, a combination of pips, pulp and skin which is what is left of the apples after the juice has been taken.

Apple is known to contain pectin, a naturally occurring polymer which is commonly used as a gelling agent in jams and which is also present in the pomace.

Pectins from the apple pulp (or pomace) will be used as a binder in slug pellets under trials conducted by the university at its laboratories in Wrexham. They will create slug pellets using a formulation which will act as a molluscide, a pesticide targeted specifically for slugs.

Molluscides are commonly used both in gardens and in agriculture. The bait is fatal to slugs but harmless to pets, birds and humans.

Anna Davies, technology translator at Glyndŵr University, said: “It’s great to see the cider industry taking the initiative to become more sustainable and reduce waste.

“This project has great potential to produce effective environmentally friendly slug pellets from a fully organic source. We are currently about halfway through the project and are currently submitting samples for field trials.”

A number of formulations using the pectins from the apple pomace will be developed by Glyndŵr’s scientists as part of field trials.

Kylee Goode, sustainability research engineer for Heineken, said the commissioned work formed an important part of the company’s commitment to sustainability.

She said: “We feel as global leaders in our field it is important to invest in research activities that can make our cider operations more sustainable and add value to our process. This work, if successful, will not only benefit our company but will produce an environmentally-friendly slug bait that is much safer than conventional metaldehyde pellets and other commercially available baits.”

ENDS

Notes to editor:

Bulmers, part of the Heineken group, has been making cider in Hereford since 1887, and is the largest cider maker in the world - making the renowned brands Bulmers, Strongbow, Jaques and Scrumpy Jack.

The IBKTC at Glyndŵr University specialises in strategic and applied research, often in collaboration with industry, to find novel uses and applications for products using its expertise in the field of polymer and colloid chemistry.

Other recent projects include attempts to create an eco-friendly spray which stops insects destroying crops by interfering with their pheromones.

i2L research limited is an independent contract research company based in Newcastle who specialise in product testing and development for the pest control industry.

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