Thursday, October 13, 2016

DOST Supports the Cacao Industry Development in Biliran Province


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Have you ever dreamt of indulging yourself into a mouth-watering chocolate cake or truffles as a dessert after a delicious meal? Or imagined treating yourself into a luxurious chocolate spa treatment after a very stressful day? Or probably drinking a cup of hot chocolate while watching the rain drops? Well, guess what? In the year 2020, those dreams and imaginations may no longer become a reality.

Photo taken from http://chh-convest11.blogspot.com
(Goodness of Chocolate)
Chocolate is among the most loved pleasure food in the world. It is considered to create a pleasant “happy feeling” and helps reduce stress to many people who eats and smells it. To some, it serves as an excellent moisturizer and is believed to give skin a healthy glow when used as a massage cream or body scrub. However, according to Switzerland's Barry Callebaut Group, there could be a deficit in chocolate as early as 2020 due to its increasing demand while its raw material supply is decreasing. So, how is this possible?

Chocolate is a product of fermented cocoa or cacao beans. Cocoa or cacao (Theobroma cacao, L) is native to Mexico, Central America and northern South America and has been introduced as a crop in many Asian countries including the Philippines. According to The Washington Post, the norm now is that farmers produces less cocoa than the world eats, thus causing the shortage in chocolates in year 2020.

Thursday, September 1, 2016

GMP and Food Safety Awareness for IMARCO




The DOST Eastern Visayas Food Safety Team (EVFST) through the support of the Provincial S&T Center- Biliran and DAR Provincial Office Leyte-Biliran conducted a two-days training on Food Safety and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) to 24 members of the Imelda Agrarian Reform Cooperative (IMARCO) on August 30-31, 2016 at the Brgy. Imelda Multipurpose Center, Naval, Biliran.

The main objective of the activity is to equip the members of the cooperative with skills and knowledge in product development based on standard good manufacturing practices and food safety measures to be able to compete in the current market, thus increasing household income.