🌱 Sustainability Report: Mango Halwa

1. Product Overview

Mango Halwa (also called Aam Ka Halwa) is a seasonal Indian dessert made using ripe mango pulp, sugar or jaggery, ghee, and semolina or cornflour, often flavored with cardamom and garnished with nuts. It is popular in mango-growing regions of India during summer.

Typical Ingredients (tarladalal.com, cookpad.com):

• Fresh Mango pulp (preferably Alphonso/Kesar varieties)

• Sugar or jaggery

• Ghee

• Semolina (Rava) or Cornflour

• Optional: Cardamom, cashews

2. Environmental Impact Analysis

a) Ingredient Sourcing

• Mangoes: Seasonal fruit widely grown in India. Moderate carbon footprint per kg (~0.7 kg CO₂e/kg). Sourcing locally reduces transport emissions.

• Sugar/Jaggery: Refined sugar has higher energy intensity; jaggery is less processed and slightly more sustainable.

• Ghee: Dairy-based, methane-intensive, ~9 kg CO₂e/kg.

• Semolina/Cornflour: Derived from grains (wheat/maize); moderate water and energy footprint.

• Nuts & Spices: Transport and processing impact, but used in small quantities.

b) Processing & Waste

• Mango processing generates peel and seed waste (~35–40% of fruit weight). These can be composted, used for pectin extraction, or valorized into animal feed.

• Cooking requires continuous heating (20–30 minutes).

c) Storage & Packaging

• Shelf life: 3–7 days without preservatives; longer when vacuum packed.

• Packaging choices (plastic trays vs biodegradable leaf-based containers) directly affect sustainability.

3. Scientific Carbon Footprint Calculation (per 100 g serving)

Assumptions & Emission Factors

• Mango pulp: ~0.7 kg CO₂e/kg

• Sugar: ~1.0 kg CO₂e/kg (jaggery ~0.8, slightly lower)

• Ghee: ~9.0 kg CO₂e/kg

• Semolina (Rava): ~1.3 kg CO₂e/kg

• Cooking energy: ~0.5 MJ (gas) → ~0.028 kg CO₂e

Ingredient Quantities (per 100 g Halwa)

• Mango pulp: 50 g (0.05 kg)

• Sugar: 25 g (0.025 kg)

• Ghee: 15 g (0.015 kg)

• Semolina: 10 g (0.01 kg)

Emission Breakdown

✅ Estimated Carbon Footprint = ~0.24 kg CO₂e per 100 g serving

4. Sustainability Summary Table

5. Recommendations for Improved Sustainability

1. Use Jaggery Instead of Sugar → lowers processing emissions and adds micronutrients.

2. Reduce or Replace Ghee → substitute part with coconut oil or cold-pressed oils to lower methane emissions.

3. Valorize Mango Waste → use peel/seed for pectin, compost, or animal feed.

4. Eco-Packaging → banana leaf wrappers, biodegradable trays, or reusable glass jars.

5. Energy Efficiency → induction/solar cooking to reduce gas-related CO₂.

6. References

• Recipe & preparation methods: Tarla Dalal – Mango Halwa (tarladalal.com); Cookpad recipe variants (cookpad.com)

• Mango production & footprint: FAO & carbon emission studies for tropical fruits

• Jaggery vs sugar sustainability: Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge

• Ghee emissions: IPCC livestock methane emission reports

• Grain product footprints: World Resources Institute (WRI) food footprint database

Generated by: ChatGPT (AI Sustainability Analyst designed by Cleantech Mart Team)