The Province of Negros Occidental through the Provincial Economic Development and Investment Center (PEDIC) requested a two-day capacity building for DOST-developed equipment such as the Freeze Dryer, Spray Dryer, Vacuum Fryer, and Water Retort which were acquired for its Shared Service Facility (SSF).

Resource persons for the training intended for SSF operators and Food Technologists were DOST-accredited experts from the Western Visayas Food Innovation Center (WVFIC) in Guimaras State University – Mr. Adrian C. Alumbro, a food technologist, and Mr. Leo G. Sorongon, a machine operator.

The training covered lectures of the different technologies and the hands-on training. Bottled sardines were used to test the Water Retort while Squash and Okra were used to test the Vacuum Fryer equipment.

As a conclusion to the hands-on training, Alumbro stated the final products’ quality will rely heavily on the operators’ skills. With this, regular test runs and enhancement trainings are important to standardize their processes.

A follow-up training is scheduled to conduct an in-depth hands-on training that will cover all the equipment in the SSF. (KJRGagajena/DOST VI-KMU)