DOST Developed Processing Technologies to Improve Cacao-Based Products

With the government’s move to revitalize the cocoa industry, the Department of Science and Technology-Industrial Technology Development Institute (DOST-ITDI) developed globally competitive technologies to enhance locally processed cacao products.

These ITDI-developed technologies, namely cacao (tablea) processing and cacao bean roaster, speed up production time and improve the quality of cacao-based chocolate. Said technologies are of big help to entrepreneurs producing cacao-based products.

Ma. Dolor L. Villaseñor, a supervisor at the DOST-ITDI’s Food Processing Division pitched to the potential stakeholders from the business sector that the cacao (tablea) process technology is designed to help the players in the cacao industry produce tablea that are at par with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) standards.

“The cacao processing technology that DOST-ITDI developed can produce cocoa that is smooth and less acidic than the ones commercially available,” she said.

As of 2015, the country produced 14,000 metric tons (MT) of cacao, and 12,000 MT of these were produced in Davao Region.

Meanwhile, the ITDI-developed cacao bean roaster has better features than traditional roasters in terms of ease of use and affordability. This locally fabricated roaster costs around P600,000 pesos while imported ones cost up to P1 million.

“We’re targeting the local licensed fabricators for this cacao bean roaster technology,” Rufino T. Barcala Jr. said.

ITDI developed the bean roaster to make the equipment locally available and more affordable to SMSEs when they adopt the technology.

These cacao technologies will scale down the production cost and improve the quality of locally manufactured chocolate products.

Local entrepreneurs can avail of these technologies through licensing agreements with DOST-ITDI which offers technical services for various industries.

For more details on food processing technologies, please visit here. . (GBDucusin/S&T Media Service)