Canned ‘laing’, anyone?

This time, it’s canned "laing".

This delicacy popular not only in Bicolandia but also in other laing-consuming regions is likewise now making waves in Filipino communities in the Middle East, United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, and Taiwan, in the Middle East, United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, and Taiwan.

The nutritious canned product, which is made of taro (gabi) leaves and stems, was developed by the DOST-Technology Application and Promotion Institute (TAPI) through its Venture Financing Program.

It was adopted by the Moonbake, Inc., a private firm in Moonwalk, Las Piñas, Las Piñas City, for commercialization. Moonbake, Inc. has also introduced other "laing" variants, notably vegetarian with tuna flakes and in curry powder.

The R&D project, titled "Canned Laing and Bicol Express Production Expansion", involves the technology of processing ready-to-eat, no preservatives, and nutritious canned laing.

It won the second prize during the 2002 National Inventors Week-Likha Award/Food and Agriculture category. The previous year, the canned laing’s unique gift packaging design won the "Trendiest Product Award" during the 2001 Asian Ethnic Food Festival.

The product’s quality and commercial appeal have also enabled Moonbake, Inc. to garner the "Most Promising Product Award" from the Philippine Food Exporters Association.

In the venture, the DOST-TAPI’s financial assistance of P1.640,795 with repayments but at zero interest covered the purchase of additional equipment, machinery, and other laboratory instruments for plant expansion to improve production of canned laing and other products.

The support is expected to increase production volume from 200 to 600 cases per day at 48 cans per case. – Rudy A. Fernandez