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A network of food processing units

Please send your written contributions to Chintha Munasinghe, IT Sri Lanka 5, Lionel Edirisinghe Mawatha, Kirulapona, Colombo 5, Sri Lanka. e-mail: chintha@itdg.lanka.net Fax: ++ 941 856188

Three years ago, I had a chance to participate in a six week training programme in food processing at the Cathy Rich Memorial Food Processing Training Unit, in Sri Lanka. I found the training interesting and gathered a lot of information on small enterprise development and food technology.

Our organization is making all efforts to develop a network of food processing units managed by rural women in its project area.

The first step being taken in this direction is setting up of a small food processing unit, at the premises of our project office. This unit is providing need-based training to the community workers of the project and volunteers as well as leaders of women's groups below the poverty line. The unit is also providing facilities to experiment and practice technical processes. A group of 25 to 30 participants can easily be accommodated in the centre. Mango pickles, green chilli pickle, dried chilli stuffed with spices, cashew fruit toffees, papaya fruities, tomato ketchup, mixed vegetable pickles, papads of many varieties and a number of ready to fry dried items were some of the food items experimented with at the centre. One day training programmes on various processes were also conducted for women from remote villages. They participated in cooking competitions.

Diwali - festival of lights - is a very important event in the lives of Maharashtrians. The festival lasts for about four days. Many types of sweets are prepared and bought from the market during the festival. Our organization with other NGOs and District Administrators, organized a four day marketing exhibition in Ratnagiri, inviting women's groups from neighbouring blocks to participate. Sweets and honey, handicrafts greeting cards and bags were the main items that were displayed. The experiment proved to be successful and encouraged women to organize such events during festive seasons.

Saradha Deshpande, Women's Cell, Gram Vikas Sanstha, Near Post Office, Deverukh, Sangameshwar, Ratnagiri, 415804, India.

Making peanut bars

PREPARATION

Shell the peanuts (manually or with peanut sheller. Roast the shelled peanuts until slightly brown and aromatic.

(The shelled peanuts may also be boiled in water into which Vitamin E has been added. The Vitamin E will delay the onset of rancidity or off-flavour development. The cooked kernels are then oven dried).

Grind the peanuts coarsely. Dissolve the sugar in water. Heat without stirring until thick. Add the ground peanuts and stir constantly to avoid scorching. Test the mixture to see if it is ready for pouring by dropping, when it should form into hard halls and then remove from heat. Pour onto a greased board. Roll to a sheet ½cm thick. Cut into bars of convenient length. Let stand to cool at room temperature. Wrap with cellophane or wax paper. Pack in the desired container. Flush with Nitrogen gas, seal immediately and label.

CONTAINER:

Use cellophane, laminated plastic hags, aluminium pouches or plastic jars. Source: Philippine Technology Journal, Vol XXI No.2 April -June 1996 Pg. 47.

PEANUT BAR

PEANUT SHELLER DEVELOPED IN SRI LANKA

Roasted peanuts are very popular in rural and urban Sri Lanka. Therefore, it is also popular as an enterprise. Mr. Aloyseus, a member of VINIVIDA NGO Coalition in Puttalam district, started selling roasted peanuts in the nearby towns. He used to remove the peanut shells by hand. Although his whole family helped him with this shelling process he found it time consuming. He requested VINIVIDA to solve his problem, knowing that there are innovative members in the VINIVIDA group. VINIVIDA developed the Peanut Sheller, with a member Mr R Gunaratne, who is engaged in the manufacture of these shellers today. This hand-operated machine is capable of de-shelling 60kg per hour. It costs about 3,000 Sri Lankan rupees to make.

Information can be obtained from:
VINIVIDA NGO Coalition, Angunawila, Mundel, Sri Lanka.