THE Department of Science and Technology’s Industrial Technology Development Institute (DOST-ITDI) is expected to wrap 2020 with a techno offering of at least eight commercially viable food products for the food industry.
The eight improved products and processes were recently presented in the “2020 ITDI Techno Offering” in a bid to drive forward the country’s food industry thrusts.
Following the height of global demand is the increased consumer awareness and the need for food products with improved functionalities, such as sports nutrition, functional beverages and dietary supplement.
A previous decrease in the functional beverages market from $128.66 billion in 2019 to $125.39 billion in 2020 is expected to make a rebound post the COVID-19 pandemic.
Economic projections point to a growth rate of 8.07 percent from 2021, thus allowing the market to reach $158.28 billion in 2023, where the ITDI will be presenting isotonic coco drink and mungbean coconut milk drink under this category.
The coco drink is a coconut water-based beverage, which is said to be naturally rich in potassium and considerable amounts of sodium, magnesium and chloride.
The beverage can help in hydration and maintenance of the body’s balance of electrolytes, supplying the needed energy during or after heavy physical or sports activities.
While the mungbean infused with coconut milk is a great alternative for lactose-intolerant consumers.
According to the ITDI, consumers can now satisfy their thirst with a twist for wellness in a shelf-stable, non-dairy and ready-to-drink beverage.
However, the multiplicity of functions come naturally to these two products for they can also complete one’s “Go Bag” during emergencies together with two other ready-to-eat foods in the techno offering.
The ready-to-eat (RTE) Smoked Fish and RTE Sweet Potato plus isotonic coco drink and mungbean coconut milk drink can also help people successfully pass away their first 48 hours during an emergency.
Further, this year’s Techno Offering considers the current global cocoa and chocolate market, which is projected by the candy industry to reach $67.22 billion by the end of 2025, up from the $43.13 billion it was at in 2017.
In support, the ITDI is offering an improved process to produce gourmet chocolate, or the tablea liquor in a bar, and ready-to-drink tablea. The process produces ultra-smooth and chocolatier chocolate drinks.
Upwards of the convenience food market, a changing lifestyle of consumers in North America, Europe and South East Asia is demanding for convenience food, mostly ready-to-eat food products.
Most of these products use iodized and or plain food-grade salts as a preservative.
With more and more food-grade salts being used as a flavor enhancer, the trend is encouraging salt manufacturers to innovate and introduce new flavored food-grade salts.
With these developments, ITDI has improved its salt iodization machine and has developed gourmet salts to serve these markets. During the Techno Offering, it will be presenting aroma infused salts with extracts from seaweeds like “lato” or sea grapes, shitake mushroom and shrimp heads. While others include salts with a smoky aroma of guava, mango and tamarind leaves./PN
