Batangas community enterprise upgrades food-safety compliance through DOST intervention
To fully prepare for the transfer of the Food and Nutrition Research Institute’s (FNRI) Squash Canton Technology, the People Helping People (PHP) Noodle Haus recently underwent an AwarenessSeminar on current Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) from the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Provincial Science and Technology Center (PSTC) Batangas held at the firm’s production plant in Barangay Taliba, San Luis, Batangas.
The seminar aims to strengthen the food safety implementation of PHP Noodle Haus. More than unfolding the maximum potentials of PHP Noodle Haus as a community enterprise, DOST PSTC-Batangas strives to make their facility and processes food safety-compliant. In 2020, they were granted a DOST community-based project entitled “Technology Upgrade and Process Improvement of PHP Noodle Haus in Barangay Taliba, San Luis, Batangas” that comprises the transfer of DOST-FNRI’s Squash Canton technology among others. Hence, the conduct of this seminar on GMP was deemed relevant in ensuring that food safety system is in place before they commercialize the squash canton technology.
Nine production workers participated in the training with strict compliance to the imposed health and safety protocols in light of the pandemic. Lyn A. Fernandez, Food Safety Team Member and Senior Science Research Specialist of DOST-CALABARZON, served as the resource speaker.
The framework of the discussion followed the seminar objectives that included understanding of the GMP requirements, importance and benefits of GMP implementation in food business, and compliance to the stipulations of the Food Safety Act of 2013 or RA 10611. Topics covered during the training were GMP organization, education and trainings, premises, plant construction and design, and use of appropriate equipment. Also, the seminar touched on sanitation and hygiene, supervision, sanitary facilities, maintenance and sanitation, process control, chemical control, quality management, testing of reprocessed product, testing of returned goods, laboratory facilities and control. To complete the information shared, the speaker tackled documentation, quality audits, warehouse and distribution, receiving and shipping, recall and traceability, retention of samples, and subcontracting of manufacture.
To help the participants appreciate the importance of GMP concepts on the production processes, Fernandez shared personal production experiences. Likewise, participants also shared their existing practices in the production. Thereafter, the speaker gave her recommendations on how to improve their processes while members of the PHP Noodle Hausrecognized the need for improvement and was grateful for the seminar that expanded their knowledge in proper production practices. (By John Maico M. Hernandez, DOST-PSTC Batangas)
Lyn A. Fernandez (above), Senior SRS and Food Safety Member of DOST-CALABARZON, serves as the resource speaker of the AwarenessSeminar on Current Good Manufacturing Practices.
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