NINE cooperative beneficiaries for food processing enterprises of the Department of Agriculture – Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP) in CALABARZON were trained on Food Safety Hazards and current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) facilitated by the Department of Science and Technology CALABARZON (DOST-CALABARZON) held at Argosino Hall, LARES Compound, Lipa City, Aug. 29–31.
The nine cooperative beneficiaries were from the provinces of Batangas, Quezon, and Laguna. These beneficiaries were Aga Farmers Multipurpose Cooperative, Magsasakang Tanaueño Agricultural Marketing Cooperative, Tanauan Organic Natural Farming Association, and Samahan ng Maggagatas ng Batangas Dairy Cooperative from Batangas province; Quezon Federation and Union of Cooperatives, Guinayangan Coffee Agri-farmers, Processors, and Entrepreneurs Agriculture Cooperative, Cacao Growers’ Association of Lopez, and Samahan ng Magsasaka ng Barangay Nieva from Quezon province; and Luisiana Cacao Grower Producers Cooperative from Laguna province.
The training helped the cooperative beneficiaries improve their understanding of the current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) requirements, the importance and benefits of GMP implementation in their food business, and compliance with the stipulations of the Food Safety Act of 2013, RA 10611.
According to DA-PRDP, the training served as a springboard to further improve the beneficiaries’ processing operations and the quality of their food products toward sustainability and the growth of their enterprises. This has also provided the beneficiaries with inputs on their application for License to Operate at the Food and Drug Administration.
Topics covered during the training were GMP organization, education and trainings, premises, plant construction and design, equipment, sanitation and hygiene, supervision, sanitary facilities, maintenance and sanitation, process control, chemical control, quality management, testing of reprocessed products, testing of returned goods, laboratory facilities and control, documentation, quality audits, warehouse and distribution, receiving and shipping, recall and traceability, retention of samples, and subcontracting of manufacture.
