The growing popularity of herbal beverages and their health benefits has propelled the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Negros Oriental Provincial Science and Technology Center to conduct a tea making seminar-workshop for existing and potential entrepreneurs in Negros Oriental. Around 15 participants attended the training held recently at the local DOST office .
The workshop included a comprehensive lecture on tea-making and hands-on exercises, and covered an extensive discussion on the proper methods and techniques most especially in drying, mixing and storing herbs. Also pointed out in the seminar are the correct way of making teabags, proper packaging and labeling; and fair costing of tea products.
“Herbal tea has been accepted as a catch-all term for any non-caffeinated beverage made from the infusion or decoction of herbs, spices, or other plant material in water since “tea” in the real sense of word is made of cured leaves of the tea plant Camellia sinensis,” explained Vina R. Antopina, the resident food and food safety expert from Bohol who facilitated the workshop. The participants had the chance to explore their creativity in mixing different types of dried plant materials and creating different kinds of natural and such as dried turmeric, malunggay, guava leaves, basil, lagundi leaves, mango peelings, and orange peelings, among others.
Antopina also reminded the participants that packaging plays an integral role and is widely considered as one of the most important attributes in every firm’s product.
For his part, Provincial S&T Director Gilbert R. Arbon expressed high hopes in maintaining and expanding the conduct of technology trainings as part of the department’s ongoing goal to help SMEs. The seminar has been part of the DOST’s continuing advocacy of promoting science and technology to the people as well as preparing them to become future entrepreneurs.
The participants present are mainly from the province’s food industry sector particularly in Mabinay, Canlaon and Dumaguete.
