Title: From Overproduction to Income Generation: Application of Food Technology and Production Line Balancing Techniques in producing Preserved Food Items from Excess/Unsold Produce

Abstract:

One of the challenges that crop growers face is the harvesting of produce in the Philippines at the right quantity at the right time. While their harvest is distributed for sale in different stores for retail, they still end up with numbers of unsold produce which may eventually spoil and turn into waste. In a province near Manila, a learning center entered into a venture/advocacy where unsold produce from a group of growers were processed and turned into preserved dried chips which were supplied to supermarkets and groceries. Through the assistance of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Set-Up, food-processing equipment were acquired which addressed the need for adopting technological innovations. Industrial Engineering consultants also came into the picture to assist in the streamlining of processes and increasing of efficiency and utilization through production line balancing: a technique to increase production and reduce idle time with minimal personnel. Training was also administered by the venture which was aimed to increase productivity, reduce variability, increase food safety awareness, and boost the morale of its manpower. As a result of these interventions, production capacity was set to a minimum of 10,000 packs per day which translates into a revenue amounting to PhP 1.2M (US$24,000) per day. With this venture, produce that are about to turn into waste can be turned into something that can generate additional income which eventually uplift the lives of the farmers despite of the COVID19 pandemic.