The Department of Science and Technology has piloted its food safety technologies and services to ensure that the public is given “scientifically safe food” outside their home.
At a news conference on Malingap Street, Diliman, Quezon City, Secretary Fortunato dela Peña vowed to place food safety as one of the DoST’s top priorities.
“DoST will remain at the forefront of using science and technology to serve the public and ensure they [people] buy from restaurants or from stores are not only nutritious but also safe to eat,” he said.
He said food safety must start from food processing to the development of guidelines and grading systems for food establishments.
“We want to ensure that we enable the best quality when it comes to the food we produce and consume,” he added.
He said DoST had gathered science and technology experts from the government and universities to conduct research and development, and studies on food and nutrition safety.
Among the technologies and services being offered by the agency were plasma technology for non-thermal sterilization of food products, packaging technology for ready-to-eat meals for disaster response that could last for a year, and food safety consultancy program that would provide technical services for restaurants to be able to achieve the government’s food safety standards.