Thirty-two participants composed of Barangay Nutrition Scholars (BNS) and Barangay Health Workers (BHW) from Don Carlos, with walk-in partakers from Valencia City and Malaybalay City, all in Bukidnon, successfully completed the three-day training on milk handling, processing and marketing held at the Regional Training Center, Philippine Carabao Center at Central Mindanao University (PCC@CMU), Musuan, Bukidnon last September 17-19.
The training was a collaborative effort between PCC@CMU, Abellanosa Learning Sites and Agricultural Training Institute (ATI), which aimed at capacitating the participants on the proper milk collection and handling; milk processing procedures for various milk products; and techniques on how to market the products.
According to Dr. Elena Paraguas, PCC@CMUs training specialist III, the selected participants from different municipalities were trained to prepare themselves for the upcoming school milk feeding program to ensure the quality and safety of the milk to be distributed in the area.
“This training will also serve as the venue for them [participants] to appreciate the value-adding potentials in milk products, which are excellent sources of additional income,” Dr. Paraguas added.
Julikah Jan Nortega, Processing and Marketing Outlet’s (PMO) quality assurance officer, stressed the importance of food safety and quality of milk from production to marketing during her lecture.
“The main point or importance of this lecture is for you to learn about proper food handling and food sanitation in order to ensure that food delivered to customers are safe from food borne illnesses. One way to achieve this end is to maintain the cleanliness of the area and food handler,” she emphasized.
After the series of lectures on the first day, the participants experienced the kitchen-type processing of milk on the following days. Each group processed choco milk, white cheese and pastillas as their finished products.
Apart from processing, the participants also learned milk quality testing, maintenance of milk quality during milk handling, production, processing and marketing.
“I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to PCC@CMU and ATI for their efforts to organize this training. For me, this training is the best because it’s free and we gained new technologies to explore,” Hector Rule, one of the participants, expressed.
