Frozen buko pie, anyone?

Buko pie, that young coconut meat-based baked food that has by now put the Philippines on the world cake map, can now last for a year.

A technology that makes this possible has been perfected by the Packaging Research and Development Center of the Philippines (PRDCP) under the Department of Science and Technology-Industrial Technology Development Institute (DOST-ITDI).

The technology entails the establishment of freezing conditions and packaging to preserve the quality of food and extend the shelf-life of perishable and semi-perishable foods.

"From a maximum shelf life of four days, buko pie can now last for a year through a quick freezing technique that allows better preservation of a freshly baked pie," stated DOST-Philippine Council for Industry and Energy Research and Development (PCIERD) which supported the project.

PRDCP has developed a packaging made up of low-density polyethylene and polypropylene, which is suitable for microwave heating.

The Department of Trade and Industry-Bureau of Export Trade and Promotion (DTI-BETP) has identified buko pie as one of the traditional foods that has a potential in the export market.

"This can compete with the ready-to-heat (microwaveable) frozen fruit pies in terms of consumer acceptability. This technology can also be applied to other pie variants and Filipino foods," DOST stressed.

DOST further pointed out: "Extending the shelf-life of buko pie and other Filipino foods will widen the radius of distribution in both local and international markets. This technology may also be applied to other pie variants such as mango, ube (yam), and buko pandan to open up new marketing opportunities."

DOST is now looking for partners who can avail themselves of PRDCP services to extend the shelf-life of their food products. – Rudy A. Fernandez