DOST-FNRI transfers Veggie-bread techs to Biliran MSMEs

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Bread and vegetables are two distinct foodstuffs that when combined will become a powerhouse for macro and micro nutrients needed for healthy life. These two have become one through the ingenuity of Filipino food scientists, who called the formulation veggie-bread. Veggie-bread technologies are finally in the grasp of Biliran bakers and most likely to benefit the consuming public of Biliran Province by making available the delicious and most nutritious breads ever in the market.

How veggie-bread technology came into being was because of two primary reasons.

Firstly, bread, in all its forms, is considered to be the most widely consumed food in several parts of the globe including the Philippines. It has been said that bread is not only an important source of carbohydrates but it is also portable and compact which explains why it has been an integral part of our diet way back 30,000 years ago up to the present. Consumers of bread products cut across different market classes and almost all age brackets, especially in the younger age groups.

Then secondly, in the 2010 National Nutrition Survey conducted by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI), it showed that 40 out of 100 children aged six months to five years old and 36 out of 100 children aged 6 to 12 years old have low levels or deficiency in Vitamin A, a nutrient essential for good eyesight and proper growth.

As a response to the aforesaid facts, FNRI in collaboration with the Industrial Technology Development Institute (ITDI), developed a technology for bread, wherein squash is used as a supplement to flour to produce Vitamin A-enriched breads. This technology, also referred to as Veggie Bread Technology, aims to help address malnutrition considering that bread is widely consumed in the country as a staple substitute for breakfast or snack item, and that squash (Cucurbita maxima) is rich in carotenoid and antioxidants which our bodies convert to Vitamin A. The FNRI has been encouraging local bakers to produce breads using the technology to make their product more nutritious and as a cushion to the effect of the rising cost of wheat bread in the market.

In Biliran Province, a Technology Transfer Training on Veggie Bread Production were conducted last August 3 & 4, 2016 in Memua Minimart, Caibiran, Biliran and Symmon’s Bakeshop, Naval, Biliran, respectively. The said transfer of technology was made possible through the presence of technology experts from FNRI namely Ms. Cecilia Quindara, Mr. Jaypy de Juan and Mr. Alex Palomo assisted by DOST PSTC-Biliran staff. During the technology transfer process, bread bakers were trained on how to produce squash puree and how it is used as a supplement to flour in baking breads, specifically pan de sal and sliced bread. Aside from squash, they were also taught to use malunggay (Moringa oleifera) flour, which is also rich in Vitamin A. The two (2) firms showed interest in adopting the technology in the province with different reasons. For Symmon’s Bakeshop, the owner sees adoption of innovation in veggie bread production as a new business venture which can combat the rising cost of production materials and malnutrition problems. Meanwhile for Memua Minimart, aside from rising production cost and malnutrition reasons, the family’s membership to a Christian community which does not eat pork, sees production of pork- free bread relevant to them.

With this technology transfer between FNRI and the 2 firms, it is expected that veggie bread be made locally available in the province and in return, create a good market for squash by giving additional income to local farmers in the province. 

For more information regarding Technologies, Programs and Services offered by DOST, you may visit http://dost.gov.ph/ or you may also contact DOST- Biliran Provincial Science and Technology Center at Tel/fax No. (053) 500-9347 and look for Ms. Maria Catherine G. Maniba. (Written by: JMAguirre, AA-III, DOST – PSTC Biliran)