DOST-FIC Most Innovative Products Recognized by Industry
Tea-tums. Gracilaria. Sea Grapes Powder. Crispy Sprouted Monggo. These are only some of the
20 innovative food products developed from local raw materials in the DOST – FICS (Department
of Science and Technology – Food Innovation Centers) that DOST has established in every region
in the country. These products vied for the highly coveted Most Innovative Products and Industry
Choice Awards in a simple awarding ceremony led by ITDI (Industrial Technology Development
Institute) Director, Dr. Maria Patricia V. Azanza.
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Food Science and Technology, Hospitality and Tourism Management – Philippine Women’s
University; Mr. Alberto Cariso, Jr., President, Philippine Association of Food Technologists, Inc.;
Mr. Rex Agarrado, VP and Gen. Manager, Canned meat – Century Pacific, Inc.; Ms. Regina
Francisco, Director for Operation, EchoStore; Ms. Hannah Margaret Rabaja, Food-Drug
Regulation Officer II – Food and Drug Administration; and Dr. Carlos Primo David, Executive
Director – Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and
Development.
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A battery of judges from the industry and academe lent their expertise in identifying and
naming the most deserving of the awards from the array of entries, namely: Dr. Ma. Veritas
Luna, Chancellor, Center for Culinary Arts; Dr. Ligaya T. Braganza, Division Dean, Facility of
The DOST initiated the establishment of FICs or Food Innovation Centers nationwide as
support to MSMEs to help them move up the value chain and improve their productivity and
be able to keep up with global market trends. The FICs serve as hub for food product
development and innovation in the regions nationwide, where food product concepts can
be transformed into tangible products from locally abundant raw materials using the DOSTdeveloped food process equipment – water retort, vacuum fryer, freeze dryer, and spray
dryer.
Meanwhile, the ITDI led in developing the competence of FIC managers and technical personnel
in product development and innovation, and equipment operation and maintenance through
trainings that included other equally important aspects of food processing (e.g., food safety,
packaging and nutrition labeling, and product costing and marketing). “After equipping and
building the competence of our FIC personnel, we would now assess and choose the most
innovative of their developed food prototypes” Dr. Azanza said in her opening message. Before
the awarding ceremony, a preliminary screening was conducted in September where five food
products per equipment were selected.
The awards were categorized according to the type of DOST food processing equipment used
in developing the products. The chosen products were adjudged based on: innovativeness
(new product, modified), market viability (why consumers will buy, competitive price),
consumer acceptability (taste, aroma, healthy), and soundness of process (considered food
contaminants & adulterants, relatively lower production cost).
Overall, DOST-FIC Region 2 came out as the run-away winner of all, bagging two of the topmost
awards, another two of the second bests, and as one of the Industry Choice awardees. Region 2
also had the most number of qualifying products, seven in all, that came with a Php100,000.00
cash prize.
Present during the awarding ceremony were DOST officials led by Dr. Rowena Cristina
Guevara, DOST Undersecretary for Research and Development; and PCIEERD Executive
Director, Dr. Carlos Primo David. In her closing message, Dr. Guevara said “commercializing
these products poses the biggest challenge now and our judges who mostly come from the
industry sector can surely help.” She also congratulated all the awardees and encouraged
them to keep on creating and developing more products that Filipinos can claim their own
and be proud of!
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Get to know the topmost products
Awarded with a cash prize of Php 100,000.00 each, the following were named as the Most
Innovative Products per equipment category:
1. Tea-tums – Water Retort (NCR, Diliman, QC)
Tea-tums is a flavorful ready-to-drink blend
of lemongrass and calamansi extracts
infused with turmeric and ginger, and can be
marketed as a health drink. It is pasteurized
to the optimum time and temperature to
ensure the quality of the drink throughout
storage.
2. Graciliaria – Freeze Dryer (Region 2, Tuguegarao)
Gracilaria is a seaweed that is abundant in
Cagayan and claimed to be free from heavymetals such as lead and mercury. It can be
processed as seaweed chips. Target
consumers for the product are lactating
mothers, restaurants, the health-conscious
and households, and the flavoring “umami”
industry, among others.
3. Sea Grapes Powder - Spray Dryer (Region 9, Zamboanga)
Sea grapes powder is a light green powder produced by spray-drying the extract
of sea grapes or lato with
maltodextrin as carrier material. It
has a natural salty, peppery taste. As
an intermediate product, sea grapes
powder can be used as condiment or
fortificant or flavoring in gourmet
foods and food products like chips,
fries, noodles, and fruit drinks.
4. Crispy Sprouted Monggo – Vacuum Fryer (Region 2, Tuguegarao)
Crispy sprouted monggo is vacuum-fried blanched
togue that has approximately 72% less moisture. It
is seasoned with garlic powder and salt, and
packed in PET bottle. The product is light-weight
and shelf-stable.
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Sprouted monggo has higher nutrient content than ordinary monggo. Hence, the
product can be served as a healthy snack that can provide the needed protein of
growing school children, increase the immune system of lactating and pregnant women,
and can even be an energy source for everyone.
The runners-up
Aside from the topmost innovative products, the runners-up or second best products were
likewise recognized, based on the same equipment category. The four runners-up were also
given Php 50,000.0 cash prize each, namely: Uved, water retort (Region 2, Tuguegarao);
Arius, freeze dryer (Region 2, Tuguegarao); Bukolyte, spray dryer (Region 11, Davao); and
Crunchy Mayahini, vacuum fryer (Region 8, Tacloban).
Uved, a traditional Ivatan food made from
banana roots; ideal as pasalubong.
A crunchy seafood snack made from
Mayahini or Barinday, also known as Venus
clam.
Arius can be substituted to imported berries, & used as
toppings for pastries, additives in jams, and color enhancer.
Bukolyte is powdered coconut water from young
coconuts; no added artificial flavor or preservatives.
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The judges were also tasked to name their choice from the four Most Innovative Products. Not
only one but two products emerged as judges’ choices. Sharing the limelight for the Industry
Choice Award (or Judges Choice), with a Php 25,000.00 cash prize were Region 2’s Crispy
Sprouted Monggo and Region 9’s Sea Grapes Powder. The judges’ choices stood out based on
the products’ newness in the market, potential consumer appeal, rational manufacturing
feasibility, and competitive price.
The finalists
A total of 20 finalists vied for the various awards. There were five products per equipment
category and the judges had a hard time naming the winning products that were stringently
identified and selected from among the finalists as follows: Water Retort Products: inasal
sauce, monggo filling, uved – Region 2; sardine roll – Region 9; tea-tums – NCR; Freeze
Dried Products: arius, blue pea, gracilaria – Region 2; durian kisses, roselle – Region 11;
Spray Dried Products: buko, pomelo pectin – Region 11; kamias – NCR; lato – Region 9;
lemongrass – Region 10; Vacuum Fried Products: barinday – Region 8; instant sinabawang
isda, marang – Region 10; mixed chips – Region 11; crispy sprouted monggo – Region 2.
Currently operating eight regional FICs participated in the event, namely: Regions – 2,
Cagayan State University – Carig Campus; NCR, University of the Philippines – Diliman; 4B,
Mindoro State College of Agriculture and Technology; 6, Guimaras State College – Mosqueda
Campus; 8, Eastern Visayas State University; 9, Zamboanga State College of Marine Science
and Technology; 10, Mindanao University of Science and Technology; and 11, Philippine
Women’s College of Davao. (Violy B. Conoza, ITDI S&T MEDIA SERVICE)
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