The country’s first mobile coffee processing hub has been officially launched, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) said.
The DOST-Calabarzon (Cavite,Laguna,Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) together with the Cavite State University (CvSU) unveiled the DOST Technology in the Region for the Upscaling of Community Knowledge or DOSTRUCK which seeks to benefit low risk food processors.
DOST Secretary Fortunato “Boy” T. de la Peña said DOSTRUCK is a food safety compliant and mobile food processing hub.
It was the DOST-Metals Industry Research and Development Center (MIRDC) that fabricated and tested the mobile hub.
De la Peña cited that the CvSU is the principal partner of the DOST-Calabarzon in the premiere operationalization of the DOSTRUCK with the tagline, “Featuring Cavite’s finest coffee... Tara, kape!”
DOST-Calabarzon Regional Director Emelita P. Bagsit said DOSTRUCK is a deployable food processing hub that can cater to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and capacitate them to become food safety compliant.
DOSTRUCK is set to provide MSMEs a temporary food safety-compliant facility, she added.
The DOST-Calabarzon said the pilot operation of DOSTRUCK will be hosted by the local government unit of Magallanes, Cavite, under the leadership of Mayor Jasmine Angelli Maligaya-Bautista.
"Their coffee farmers and producers will benefit from this project. Once their coffee farmers can establish their processing facility, the DOSTRUCK will now move to another area where it will serve its purpose," it said.
De la Peña likewise reported the DOST-Calabarzon’s installation of a new vacuum freeze drying facility for the Calabarzon Food Solutions Hub (CFOSH), which is stationed in Laguna State Polytechnic University (LSPU) Sta. Cruz Campus in Sta. Cruz, Laguna.
CFOSH is a beneficiary of the Shared Service Facility (SSF) program of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) IV-A, in partnership with Association of the Laguna Food Processors Inc. (ALAFOP), Laguna State Polytechnic University (LSPU), and DOST-Calabarzon.
Bagsit said the project seeks to strengthen CFOSH’s capacity to assist food processing companies to develop innovative food products.