DTI to assist food delicacy makers obtain FDA license

CEBU, Philippines — The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI-7) will be extending assistance to small manufacturers of food delicacies in securing a license to operate (LTO) from the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA).

This is to provide micro entrepreneurs with opportunities to sell in big commercial outlets, or even in the export market, said DTI-7 regional director Aster Caberte.

She mentioned the business of making banana chips, of which the region has a lot of good banana chips makers, mostly in the communities that have yet to have a proper registration or permits.

This year, DTI-7 is going to focus on spotting the food delicacy makers in towns or barangays within the region, especially those that have been recognized in their respective communities or part of the OTOP NextGen products.

By the next year, Caberte targets that all micro players should have gotten LTOs or CPR (certificate of product registration) so that they could take advantage of the big export market.

Now that “pasalubong” snacks like banana chips, dried mangoes, Utap, as well as fruit-based goodies are big hits among tourists and therefore have good potential for export market, Caberte said DTI is helping those micro players to take advantage the growing overseas market.

Now that FDA is streamlining its requirements, Caberte hopes that more micro-entrepreneurs will be able to get FDA registration easily and fast thereby opening them to exploit the world market.

Some food makers only enjoying sales within the local consumer-based including visiting tourists, but once they have proper requirements, tapping the world market is easier.

A study conducted by The Euromonitor Digest, by Department of Trade and Industry-Export Marketing Bureau (DTI-EMB) indicated that Chinese savory snacks market is seen grow rapidly over the next five years, driven by the rising consumer preferences towards healthy food.

The report said that the salty snacks category, with sales of 47.54 billion yuan, leads total market sales amounting to 123.474 billion yuan this year.

This is followed by other savory snacks; nuts, seeds and trail mixes; puffed snacks; potato chips; savory biscuits; rice snacks; and popcorn.

While salty snacks has an unhealthy image in China, the category has seen growing interest in new product types that combine healthy ingredients with tasty flavors, such as yam chips.

The report added that over the forecast period, it is possible that some manufacturers will launch new yam chips products that are roasted rather than fried so as to better meet the demand for healthier salty snacks. (FREEMAN)