DOST to unveil new ready-to-eat food, ready-to-drink products

The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) will unveil new ready-to-eat (RTE) food and ready-to-drink (RTD) products developed by the department’s Industrial Technology Development Institute (ITDI).

Four new food technologies will bring to 17 the total number of RTE and RTD produced by the ITDI for adoption and commercialization.

DOST-ITDI Director Dr. Annabelle V. Briones said, “These four upcoming ready-to-eat and ready-to-drink technologies will surely touch your interest.”

The RTE and RTD technologies were developed by the ITDI and DOST’s Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI)

Last June, DOST Secretary Fortunato “Boy” T. de la Peña announced the RTE Chicken Soup under the DOST-ITDI’s “Pack of Hope” brand that aims to provide readily available food products for the country’s most vulnerable sectors, such as children and elderly, particularly during disasters and calamities.

The three new ITDI technologies are the RTE Chicken Adobo, RTE Beef Curry and RTD Rice Milk.

The RTE Chicken Adobo and RTE Beef Curry were developed in partnership with the Philippine Army.

De la Pena said the Institute partnered with the Philippine Army to develop and field test ready-to-eat food rations for soldiers during combat and high-risk operations.

The project involves the development and field testing at identified sites of the Philippine Army of six RTE foods – chicken adobo, beef curry, steamed rice, adobong kangkong, chicken afritada, and bangus sisig. The project aims to establish the process schedule for the RTE foods, shelf-life simulating storage conditions, handling and distribution of food rations in combat operations, label design and transport packaging.