MANILA, Philippines — The government has pursued an aggressive food processing equipment fabrication program with seven prototypes launched in two years to enable Philippines to venture into value-added food and to catch up with its neighbors.

The “Development of Process Equipment for Food Processing Firms” is now developing seven food processing equipment initially.

A prototype of perhaps two of the seven machines may be produced by the end of the year while mass production should be ready in two years, according to Industrial Technology Development Institute (ITDI) Senior Science Research Specialist Norberto G. Ambagan.

The seven machines are vacuum packers (sealing machine); spray dryer for drying of food and herb extract, fruit juice, milk and coffee into powder form; water retort for packing products in pouches for meat, marine and dried fruits; vacuum dryer for manufacturing herbs and species, fruits and vegetables; vacuum fryer for producing crunchy food as fruits, vegetables, root crops, shellfish like crunchy tahong; immersion freezer for pre-cooling of vacuum-sealed marine product prior to freezing; and freeze dryer essential in immediately freezing fishery products in coastal areas to avoid spoilage.

“We’re lagging behind our Asian neighbors. We have to start small and build our capability. The department (of Science and Technology) has strong support now for our local fabricators while assisting food processors, said Ambagan in a forum.

“The food processor will assure that the equipment complies with quality of the food product. The fabricator needs to comply again, back to the prototype, adjusting, and modifying. Our small food processors will grow with our small equipment fabricators.”

The local fabrication of food processing equipment will boost global competitiveness particularly of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME), giving them access to equipment cheaper than imported ones.

It will enable production of “tropicalized” machines where food processors no longer have to import expensive raw material parts and wait for perfect timing for these to be shipped in. It will make parts and services available “after-sales” locally.

The government, Department of Agriculture and DoST, is in full support of producing local food processing equipment since it will prolong shelf life of fresh fruits and vegetables, generate export revenue, and raise farmers and small entrepreneus’ income.

“It will lead to production of safe food products, prevent contamination and product recall, prevent microbiological or pathogenic contaminants and chemical and physical contaminants like glass and metals,” said Ambagan.

Other benefits of mechanization for food processing are compliance with global food safety standards, increasing productivity and efficiency, reducing processing and cleaning time in factories, and definitely, increasing profit.

“Hopefully these machines will increase efficiency in the plant and lower production cost. Most of the time, people cause delays in production, but the use of machine can increase a businessman’s profit,” he said.

In its program to produce food processing machines, ITDI is also upgrading capability of its personnel and facilities.

They are focused on determining what the exact needs of MSME food processors are, the specification of operation and functions of the machines; operating conditions such as utilities and power supply; fabrication assembly and techniques; materials to be used for these machines whether metal or non-metal like the “virgin plastic”; and control and operation whether manual or automatic; and maintenance, delivery, and installation.

ITDI has long designed and produced some food processing equipment, but it is only now that government has the full support to make the machine fabrication industry fully viable.

ITDI previously produced, based on imported equipment, a spray dryer which enables milk to dissolve in cold water, not only hot and a wine kit with an ebulliometer that tests alcohol in wine.