With the plasticizer panic sweeping across Taiwan, what are we left to choose on the shelves? Can we further trust companies that make beverages? A professor from the National Pingtung University of Science and Technology is about to change all that, by providing them with an alternative way of making clouding agent. In fear of clouding agents that contain plasticizer chemicals, many are choosing to drink water and tea instead. But soon, we may not have to worry anymore. Wu Ming-chang, the professor of the Department of Food Science of the National Pingtung University of Science and Technology has successfully produced a healthy replacement for the typical clouding agent by extracting pectin out of fruits after two years of research. Professor Wu said that the modified pectin extracted from fruit and fruit skin can be used to replace the emulsifying additive, the clouding agent, that's found in many beverages. It can help food product emulsify and avoid the water-oil separation. Pectin-based clouding agent costs only half of the price of clouding agent made of palm oil, which is about 400 NT dollars per kilogram. The recent scandal involving clouding agent made of plasticizer chemicals has tainted a wide range of products across the island, and the low cost is primarily the reason of the deceitful act, which is set at about 60 NT dollars per kilogram. Natural pectin can not only greatly reduce the cost of making clouding agent from the traditional method of palm oil, but it can supposedly enhance our immune system as well. Professor Wu and his research team are applying for patent on the natural pectin-based emulsifier, hoping that the healthy alternative can replace the artificial additives.