DOST helps Malitbog coffee get FDA LTO

 -JRED FOOD  Processing, a DOST-assisted coffee processing in Malitbog, Bukidnon was awarded a License to Operate (LTO) by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in early 2020. 

Famed as “Kape Roger or Señor Rogelio” for its aromatic blend, the firm is a recipient of the Department of Science and Technology's (DOST) banner program called the Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program (SETUP).

DOST in Region 10 (DOST-10) has been assisting JRED Food Processing since early 2018. The agency linked them to a series of free training and seminars that include Good Manufacturing Practices and Food Safety.

Since the approval of their SETUP proposal, the firm's proprietors Mr. and Mrs. Saguinhon, have been accommodating experts in the field to help improve their enterprise. 

Kape Roger also acquired consultants paid by DOST to assist them in their documentary and physical requirements to obtain a ‘License to Operate’ from FDA. Their manual and their actual plant layout is one of the most critical requirements of the FDA that have been provided for free through SETUP.

Other than free training and one-on-one consultancy, Kape Roger has upgraded its facility with higher specifications and brand-new equipment through the banner program. Among which are coffee pulper, grinder, continuous band sealer, and roasting machine.

With the acquisition of an LTO, the firm aims to expand its market through supermarket penetration throughout Northern Mindanao, including established coffee shops in Cagayan de Oro City and Malaybalay City.

Also, Kape Roger has recently acquired their Intellectual Property Rights on its official brand, Señor Rogelio. The recently granted IPO allowed them to enjoy exclusive rights on their brand, which they have worked so hard to establish.

The Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program (SETUP) is a banner program of DOST that enables MSMEs to address their technical problems and improve productivity and efficiency through the infusion of appropriate technologies to improve products, services and operations, human resource training, technical assistance and consultancy services, and design of functional packages and labels.

For interested MSMEs who want to avail of the SETUP program, the agency requires a Letter of Intent or any inquiry via email at bukidnon@region10.dost.gov.ph or Facebook chat to DOST Bukidnon FB Page. (By Ruby Leonora R. Balistoy)