TARLAC CITY (PIA) -- Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and Department of Science and Technology (DOST) organized a seminar on Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) for Tarlac micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). 

About 80 MSMEs engaged in the food industry participated in the discussion on GMP in accordance with Republic Act No. 10611, otherwise known as the Food Safety Act of 2013.

DTI Tarlac Senior Trade-Industry Development Specialist Maria Divina Gloria Ramos said this is an opportunity to increase customer trust and sales of the participants.

“The seminar is a platform for MSMEs in the food sector to deepen their understanding of GMP and level up their compliance with the Food Safety Act as this is also one way of gaining the trust of their customers,” she furthered.

DOST Resource Speakers, Provincial Director Karen Dañez and Dhannize Pili, emphasized that adherence to GMP and obtaining a License to Operate from the Food and Drug Administration are not only for mere compliance with the regulations but also vital steps in safeguarding consumers from food hazards.

The seminar likewise had a discussion on the different types of contaminants, how the contaminants get into food, and how to address them.

DTI and DOST are both members of the Provincial Small and Medium Enterprise Development Council that assist MSMEs from starting up their businesses to complying with food standards and developing their products. (CLJD/GLSB-PIA 3)