Home

Healthy, yummy and nutritious on the go breakfast

By CACAY MORAS

ENJOY a delicious breakfast every morning even while on the go as the well-loved breakfast biscuit that has helped energize consumers all over the world finally makes its debut in the Philippines.

BelVita is the first-ever breakfast biscuit from Mondelez Philippines, which aims to address consumers’ growing needs for convenient and delicious well-being snacks.

“We live in a fast-paced world where people have increasing awareness of their wellness needs but are sometimes challenged by the lack of time to prepare and eat a balanced breakfast. Their preferences are evolving and they want snacks that are not only delicious but offer convenience and good nutrition. We see belVita entering the breakfast category by creating this new biscuit occasion. We envision belVita to energize this well-being space,” said Anna Sapitan, Mondelez Philippines’ Marketing Manager for the Biscuits Category.

Just like any young Filipino couple, Karylle and Yael live a hectic and active lifestyle. With their life goals, they know that breakfast is very important. It’s the time they get their energy for a long list of activities ahead. “Breakfast is sometimes the only meal we get to enjoy together with our many commitments. This is why belVita breakfast biscuit is ideal for the lifestyle we have. We try to eat a balanced breakfast every morning. So we pair belVita with a piece of fruit and a glass of milk and we know we have everything we need to jumpstart our day,” Karylle shared.

As for the taste, Yael likes how tasty and easy it is for him to have his breakfast. “I like belVita not only because it is convenient to eat but also because it’s really yummy. It’s easy to reach for and it fills me up just right. When I want a delicious, healthy and convenient breakfast, it’s the perfect go-to,” Yael mused. With their jam-packed days, Karylle and Yael turn to belVita as their breakfast staple, making them the perfect couple to introduce and endorse the brand to the Philippine market.

Several studies confirm that this accelerated shift to convenient wellness products in the snack industry is well founded. Reference from the Philippines’ adult energy and nutrient intakes study published in the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) Journal in 2013identified 1 out of 5 adults in Philippines tend to skip breakfast. It is also noted in the Food and Nutrition Research Institute 2013 Dietary Survey that only a third or 31.5% of households in urban areas are able to meet their energy requirements for the day. And in the National Capital Region, 1 in 10 or 13% of households consume their breakfast outside their homes. “Belvita is specially designed for breakfast,” said Princess Landicho, belVita Brand Manager. “Just pair it with a serving of dairy products and fruit for a balanced breakfast to help kick start your morning with energy. It is also a great on-the-run snack because of its convenient packaging.”

“BelVita breakfast biscuits are made with whole grain cereals, which include whole wheat and oat, and are fortified with vitamins and minerals such s Vitamin A, B1, B2, B3, D, calcium, iron and zinc. And thanks to more than 15 years of research, belVita is also baked using a special gentle baking process, which helps to preserve the nutritional quality of our cereal ingredients,” Landicho added.

First launched in 2011 in the United Kingdom as a breakfast biscuit, this global breakfast icon is sold in more than 50 countries. Locally, belVita is available in two flavors: Milk and Cereal, and Honey and Chocolate. BelVita is also purposely packaged to help consumers exercise portion control. Delicious and nutritious, each piece can be part of a convenient breakfast to give energy for a packed day ahead.

Filipino researchers develop raw material from Negros limestone

Filipino researchers have developed Nano Precipitated Calcium Carbonate (NPCC) from limestone sourced in Negros Oriental.

Researchers at the Industrial Technology Development Institute (ITDI) pursued development of the technology to make use of the country’s 29 billion tons of limestone deposits.

Calcium carbonate is a chemical compound commonly found in rocks as the minerals calcite and aragonite. It is the main component of pearls and the shells of marine organisms, snails and eggs.

NPCC is a nanomaterial that has wide range of industrial applications in papermaking, rubber, plastics, pharmaceuticals, agriculture and food. It is commonly used as filler or additive that can improve processing and enhance its properties.

NPCC has been widely used for several years as a filler material in papermaking, coatings, plastics and agriculture. NPCC displays a number of unique properties as a functional filler and extender in plastic compounds in the plastics, rubber, coating, papermaking, paint and printing ink industries. Its most prominent current use is for improving the mechanical performance of plastics, polymer composites and rubber.

Desirable properties include high porosity, high surface area to volume ratio, and exceptional mechanical properties.

When ready for commercialization, NPCC will help local processors of calcium carbonate to meet the quality of product requirements of the paper and plastic industries. Conventional processing usually produces calcium carbonate laden with impurities like calcite.

Because local processing is confined to calcining and simple grinding, processors cannot produce calcium carbonate in its original state of purity.

Use of this processing technology will enable local processors to meet the increasing demand for food grade precipitated calcium carbonate rather than import it.

In addition, the technology will increase the value of local limestone as an import substitute, while opening up a new industry with a different livelihood opportunity.

Nano as a unit of measurement of length is comparable to similar units like meter. One nanometer is about as long as a fingernail grows in one second. A human hair is approximately 80,000 to 100,000 nanometers wide.

ITDI, a part of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), operates the NanoLab, one of the very few public nanotechnology research laboratories in the country.

It offers world-class equipment and devices meant to provide nanotechnology-related technical services. By developing materials with structure at the nanoscale, researchers can explore their unique optical, electronic or mechanical properties.

The NanoLab is currently housed at ITDI’s Materials Science Division Building at the DOST Complex in Taguig City.

At the NanoLab, a high-resolution field emission transmission electron microscope can magnify materials up to 1.5 million times and is capable of rapid data acquisition.

There are 10 other high-level machines and gadgets that researchers use for R&D studies on materials science and engineering, including collaborative work and provision of technical assistance to industry and academe. - P. Icamina

DOST: Better R&D outputs at the local level

April 13, 2018 Liez’l Marie Lamasan

NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, Apr. 13 (PIA) -- The recently concluded Regional Scientific Meeting (RSM) in Bacolod City, which gathered researchers and scientists in Visayas, is expected to generate quality research and development (R&D) outputs at the local level.

During the RSM press conference, Department of Science and Technology (DOST 6) regional director Rowen Gelonga expressed that the activity is an engaging way for the local researchers to interact with national scientists and academicians to establish better collaboration with them.

“What we expect is that after this event and series of events that we are going to have, we can now actually (have) better R&D outputs at the local level because we are linking with our scientists and researchers based on areas outside the region,” Gelonga underscored.

A brainchild of the National Academy of Science and Technology, Philippines (NAST PHL) in coordination with the DOST Regional Offices, the RSM is geared towards President Rodrigo Duterte’s thrust of bringing science initiatives to the regions to spur innovations.

Director Gelonga likewise noted that two State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) in Negros Occidental are working out to produce feasible proposals for the Niche Centers in the Regions for R&D (NICER) program of DOST.

“We are looking at partnering with both Carlos Hilado Memorial State College (CHMSC) and Technological University of the Philippines – Visayas (TUP-V) to come up with a research center that will specialize on the metal working side, metals fabrication, particularly to address the requirements of our sugar industry as well as the food processing sector, ” Gelonga said.

According to Gelonga, these are the significant improvements pushed in an effort to establish specialized R&D centers and build local R&D capabilities attuned to the regional development needs. (LML/PIA Negros Occidental)

Page 135 of 141