Value added durian products consist of:

1. Pre-processed durian
2. Frozen durian
3. Durian chips
4. Durian powder
5. Durian paste
6. Durian cake and other useful materials

Pre-processed durian: Pre-processed durian is almost the same as fresh durian. Minimally processed, ready-to-eat durian is easier for people who have difficulty dehusking the fresh fruit. Durian should be half-ripe before being dehusked. The durian aril with seeds intact is removed from the locules and placed in a foam tray before being wrapped with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) film to prevent condensation inside the package. Paper towel is sometimes laid on the foam tray beneath the aril to reduce humidity within the package and prevent the aril becoming watery. Caution should be taken in the processing of durian to ensure that conditions remain hygienic and prevent microbial contamination which causes rapid decay, particularly at room temperature.

Frozen Durian: Normally, frozen durian is traded in whole fruit form. Durian consumers have no idea of the inside yield or its freshness. Today therefore, durian sellers peel the thorny skin and take the flesh out in order to have it frozen. Durian can be frozen by either contact freezing or individual quick freezing (IQF) as whole fruit or seed-free aril. Freezing whole durian fruit is less preferable because of the large freezing area and high energy input required. Durian frozen by IQF can be kept for a year. The process of IQF frozen durian is as follows:

	Individual quick freezing (IQF) process

Most frozen durians are targeted for export to western countries, which account for about 10% of total durian export. Frozen durian export more than doubled over the period of 1992-1996. From 2,390 tons (6.9 million durians) in 1992, export has jumped to 5,635 tons (11.3 million durians) in 1996 with the USA, Australia and Canada as new emerging markets. There are 4 kinds of packaging for frozen durian.

Durian Chips: Most durian chips produced in Thailand still have a tiny market and lower potential for export. Durian chips have a growing consumer base who believed that they taste better than potato chips. Also, the product can keep for 8-10 months. The suppliers of durian chips should design attractive packaging and control the product standard. The processing of durian chips is as follows:

	Processing of durian chips

Durian Powder: Durian aria can be processed into a powder which is used as an essence in coconut milk, ice cream, cake and other products requiring durian flavor. Durian powder is made from unripe fruit. It should be processed into powder within 48 hours of harvesting, as ripe fruit is unsuitable for manufacturing this product. To obtain 1 kg of durian powder, approximately 3 kg of fresh durian is required. Durian powder should be stored in a polypropylene bag within a tightly sealed container and kept in a cool place with low humidity. Under good storage conditions, this product will keep for a year without its color or viscosity changing. The processing of durian powder is as follows:

	Processing of durian powder

Durian Paste: Durian paste is made from surplus overripe or dropped fruit. Overripe durian is preferable for paste because it is easier to dehusk and stir during mixing. Pour and stir over-ripe durian in the open pan. Add 12 % to 20 % sugar by weight, and heat over a wood, charcoal or gas stove for approximately three hours. The heat should be moderate to avoid burning and the paste continuously stirred with a paddle to mix the aril and remove moisture. To check whether the paste is ready, a small amount should be picked up by hand during stirring. If it is not sticky, then stirring may stop and the paste left to cool. If it is still sticky, stirring must continue. The finished product can be wrapped in plastic film and packaged in a foam tray depending on its weight. Durian paste can be kept at room temperature for four months or frozen at -20 ºC for one year without a reduction in edibility. The processing of durian paste is as follows:

	Processing of durian paste

Durian Cake: The durian cake market has existed for a long time, but is small. Durian cake is usually crumbled for use as an ingredient, rather than being eaten whole as a snack. So the trading of durian cake is as a commodity product. Branding is rarely applied for this type of processed durian. Most of the market remains in Asian or the Asian minority in Western countries. The consumption of durian cake is limited to Chinese and some Eastern Asian Countries. Durian exporters can add value to their product by redesigning the packaging before introducing it to westerners. Moreover, introducing durian cake as a snack is a good idea for increasing durian consumption.

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