Ankang Konjac

Ankang Konjac

Ankang Konjac is a protected geographical indication product.

Ankang Konjac is an agricultural geographical indication product.

　　Ankang is the largest production base for konjac, taro slices, and refined powder in northwestern Sichuan, as well as a distribution hub for the konjac market. The annual production and procurement of taro slices amount to 2,000–3,000 tons. In addition, the factory is only 400 kilometers away from the main production area of white konjac, enabling large-scale procurement of white konjac raw materials, thus ensuring ample supply and excellent quality.

　　Konjac has health benefits such as lowering cholesterol, blood lipids, and aiding in weight loss, earning it the nickname “intestinal scavenger.” Konjac is also widely used in industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, dyeing, and drilling, showing broad development prospects.

　　The factory covers an area of 5,757.82 square meters, with production workshops, warehouses, offices, dormitories, and a canteen totaling 2,500 square meters. The layout is rational and fully landscaped, resembling a garden. The factory is equipped with an original Japanese complete refined powder production line, China’s most advanced refined powder unit and grinding machines, as well as an alcohol-method complete set of equipment. It also has testing instruments and a fully equipped laboratory. The enterprise maintains comprehensive management and inspection systems. It produces 800 tons of refined powder and 300 tons of purified and micro powder annually, with year-round supply available. Product varieties include: various grades of flower konjac and white konjac refined powder, as well as purified and micro powders processed for food use.

　　Geographic Scope

　　Ankang is located on the northwestern edge of the Sichuan Basin, in the middle section of the Longmen Mountains, bordering the Chengdu Plain. Its geographical coordinates are 104°11′–104°38′ east longitude and 31°37′–31°47′ north latitude. It borders Beichuan County to the north, Mao County to the northwest, Jiangyou City to the east, Luojiang County to the south, Mianzhu City to the west, and Fucheng District to the southeast. The protected area for Ankang konjac includes nine towns and townships within Ankang: Chaping Township, Gaochuan Township, Sangzao Town, Xiaoba Town, JuShui Town, Feishui Town, Xiushui Town, Huangtu Town, and Lexing Town, covering 90 villages with a protected area of 3,850 hectares and an average annual output of 53,900 tons.

　　Quality and Technical Requirements for Ankang Konjac

　　I. Variety

　　Flower Konjac.

　　II. Site Conditions

　　Altitude: 800m to 2,500m. Soil types: yellow soil, mountainous yellow-brown soil, purple soil, and alluvial soil. Topsoil thickness ≥30cm, organic matter content ≥1.8%, pH value 6.5 to 7.5.

　　III. Cultivation Management

　　1. Seed Block Selection: Seed tubers should weigh ≥50g.

　　2. Planting: Planted from late March to early April, with a soil cover thickness of 8 cm to 10 cm. Planting density ≤5,400 plants per 667㎡ (mu).

　　3. Fertilization: Apply 2,000 kg to 4,000 kg of well-rotted organic fertilizer per 667㎡ (mu).

　　4. Harvesting: Harvest 15 days after the plants have withered and fallen over, choosing sunny days or when the soil is dry.

　　5. Production Water: Groundwater within the production area, with water quality meeting national drinking water standards.

　　6. Environmental and Safety Requirements: The use of pesticides, fertilizers, etc., must comply with national regulations, and environmental pollution must be avoided.

　　IV. Konjac Powder Processing

　　1. Processing Flow: Fresh konjac → pit cleaning → washing → slicing (or chopping) → drying and grinding (or mashing into slurry → filtering and settling → sun-drying into powder) → packaging.

　　2. Key Quality Control Points:

　　(1) Drying Temperature: 50°C to 60°C for 110 to 120 minutes.

　　(2) Grinding Fineness: 40 to 120 mesh.

　　V. Quality Characteristics

　　1. Sensory Characteristics: White particles, uniformly sized and translucent, with particularly bright crystal luster under microscopic examination, and the inherent fishy odor of konjac.

　　2. Physicochemical Indicators: Glucomannan (on a dry basis) content ≥75%, viscosity (4th rotor, 12 rpm / 30°C) ≥20,000 MPa·s, moisture ≤11%, ash content ≤4.5%.

　　3. Safety and other quality technical requirements: The product's safety and other quality technical requirements must comply with relevant national regulations.