(Luận văn thạc sĩ) traditional preparation and packaging practices of la union’s bagoong, a regional fermented fish product in the northwestern philippines

THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY PAULINE TAVARA DAMASO TRADITIONAL PREPARATION, PACKAGING PRACTICES AND NUTRITIONAL VALUE OF LA UNION’S BAGOONG, A REGIONAL FERMENTED FISH PRODUCT IN THE NORTHWESTERN PHILIPPINES BACHELOR THESIS Study Mode: Full-time Major : Food Technology Faculty : International Program Office Batch : 2016-2020 Thai Nguyen, 25/11/2020 Thai Nguyen,2020 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT First, I would like to thank my supervisor, Dr.rer.nat Nikki Herherson Dagamac, for his unending support in conducting this research and sharing his wisdom I am very grateful for his friendly guidance, advises and encouraging words which became a big part of my writing process Thank you for the time and effort in spite of his hectic schedules Thanks for not giving up on me and giving me the chance, it was such a great honor Especial thanks to my Vietnamese adviser, Dr Vu Hanh for her assistance, advice and support regarding to my case Secondly, I sincerely gave thanks to Dr Stefanie Young Eriguel, Mayor of Agoo, La Union Philippines for allowing me to conduct my study To the barangay captains and to the 17 respondents who really contributed much to the success of my research To my close friends: Dicky, Ate Myra, Ate Rhona, Kuya Ponce, Luis, Alysza, Althea, Le and K49-AEP for their help, moral support, love, and always reminding me to be optimistic Thank you for the encouragement which helped me to get through in difficult times Special thanks to Ms Charmaine Carrera, Ms Dianne Rose Carrera and Mr Christian Dy for their thoughtful help and assistance during my interview I greatly appreciate all of your assistance If it was not because of them, I would have not been able to approach the respondents iv To my family, that served as an inspiration for me to stay strong It was a tough time, but I am really grateful for the priceless advises you have been giving me These people always helped me to keep my life in context Graduate school is not the most important thing in life, but good friends, good times and happiness are Above all else, I express my deepest gratitude to the ultimate Giver of Life, my Savior, the Almighty Father of the Heaven and Earth for guidance, strength and good health, in the mid of pandemic, in this journey It is solely because of the knowledge, wisdom and understanding He blessed me with wisdom that I was able to finish this research Glory to God Pauline Tavara Damaso v PART I INTRODUCTION 1.1 Research rationale Regional foods are characterized by region and human-related factors It is specific goods typical for certain historical or geographical areas They show the quality of a given region or entire nation (Minta, 2015) It also recognized the authenticity of the products that attributes to the consumers (Kuznesof et al., 1997) Furthermore, regional foods depend on food accessibility and trade, climate, norms, and cultural differences (Wahlqvist, 2007) An example of regional food in the Philippines is bagoong, a fermented fish product In different parts of the world, fermented fish are produced and devoured and became an integral feature of many cultures of food (Zang et al., 2020) Fermentation has long been used to improve and optimize the shelf-life, quality, and sensory attributes of food (Rezac et al., 2018) The whole preservation process only requires a low cost and does not need any forms of technology For that reason, it is a relevant process to use in remote areas and in developing countries where access of advanced technology is scarce Over generations, fermented products have been adapted including some finish products and practices (Battock, 1998) Moreover, for several purposes traditional fermentation in developing country serves It can (i) improve the taste of otherwise bland food, (ii) enhance the digestibility of food that is difficult to absorb, (iii) preserve food from degradation by harmful microbes, and (iv) nutritional enhancement (National Research Council of United States, 1992) In an emerging country like the Philippines, fermented products are produced in a variety of types, particularly fermented fish products Bagoong is one of the popular preserved fish products of the Philippines where it is a staple food in many communities Also the product is also exported in other country where there is a presence of ethnic group or Filipino community A by-product of bagoong is patis, which is the exuded liquor from the fermentation process and is similar to the Vietnamese fish sauce (nuoc-mam) However, there are few reports regarding the documentation of this regional fish paste product of the Philippines Moreover, historical, pre and postproduction processes, the cultural significance of traditional fermented foods, and regional food are limited Therefore, this study was conducted to (i) fill in these gaps from local Ilocano stakeholders i.e fisherman, manufacturer, and vendor, and (ii) document the potential risk and nutritional component of the regional bagoong in La Union, Philippines 1.2 Significance of the study The purpose of this study is to understand, through an empirical evaluation, the production of regional bagoong of Agoo, La Union, Philippines This information may give importance and foundation for the regional food in the Philippines This research will provide data in other fields of science Moreover, the information was to serve as a database that may provide new evidences to broaden the known information regarding the bagoong as a regional food in Agoo, La Union, Philippines The output of this study is also significant to the municipal, institutions, and researchers as their reference in their pursuit to relate to the base of knowledge Most importantly, this study will benefit the La Union Province as the first conducted research about the regional food in the province and as well as to the Region one (1) of the Philippines 1.3 Research questions and hypotheses 1.3.1 Research questions This research aims to answer the focal questions, What is the history of bagoong in the province of La Union? How was the bagoong being processed? a Gathering and Handling of raw materials b Fermentation protocol c Packaging d Distribution e Safety protocol What are the different types of packaging? What are the potential risk factors of bagoong? a Microbial risk b Physical risk What are the nutritional components of bagoong? 1.3.2 Hypothesis The following hypothesis will be examined in this study The history of the bagoong is well-known to the manufacturers of Agoo, La Union The manufacturers of bagoong follow a food safety protocol The packaging of the bagoong uses a traditional way of packaging The bagoong of Agoo, La Union has a potential for microbial and physical risk The bagoong, a fermented fish sauce has health benefits 1.4 Research objectives This research aims to interview and collect the data of the stakeholders (i) the fishermen, (ii) manufacturers and (iii) sellers or vendors of the regional bagoong Specifically, the research objectives: • To congregate an empirical data regarding to the history, packaging, and to the physical and microbial risk of bagoong; • To conduct a face to face interview to the stakeholders of regional bagoong in La Union to obtain data that are concerning their demographic information, pre- and post- production process of regional bagoong; • To identify the history of bagoong in La Union using primary and secondary sources 1.5 Scope and Limitations This study contains the perspective of the regional bagoong stakeholders Through participant observation, the data was gathered and analyzed using thematic analysis However, this study is only limited to the stakeholders of regional bagoong in Agoo, La Union to view the production process, and may not reflect concern of all bagoong production across the Philippines 1.6 Operational Definition Fermentation- metabolic process that through the action of enzymes, generates chemical changes in organic substrates Fishermen- someone who catches fish and other marine species in the sea Manufacturer- a person or company that makes goods for sale Nutritional components- The chemical components of food can be defined as nutrients and can be divided into six broad groups: carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, mineral and water Packaging- Enclosing and protecting products for production, transportation, sale and more with the combination of research, art and technology Safety protocol- major concerns especially in food producing industry such to prevent microbial spreading and more Traditional- inherited activities from ancestor Vendor- someone who sell goods in exchange for money to the customer PART II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE 2.1 History of bagoong Eastern Asian cuisine is based on a combination of rice, fish and vegetables, with majority of animal proteins, primarily fish, acquired from aquatic species Most of the seasonally available fish is stored by fermentation in East Asia, and fermented foods are eaten daily Eating large quantities of fermented fish in that area is a cheap source of protein, amino acids and energy Therefore it can be hypothesized that the systematic preparation of fermented fish originated by chance when a batch of old or improperly processed salted fish fermented, and the umami taste was first observed and considered appropriate Thus, fermented fish processing may have started in several different locations independently, but it would only have been established and purposely elaborated where the taste was culturally acceptable and where the products were found to be complementary to the cuisine formed (Ruddle and Ishige, 2010) Moreover, one essential is the relationship between seasonal hydrological conditions and inland fisheries in the various rice-growing agro-ecological zones Mountainous areas are occupied predominantly by moving farmers, who not produce irrigated rice and who live where there is little fish fauna In the rainy season, early irrigation networks formed in intermountain basins and alluvial fans within the mountains are flooded and suffer from dry drought Fish supplies are restricted during the dry season only to larger watercourses and to mud fish in pools and swamps However, fish and other marine fauna are widely distributed in the flooded region throughout the wet season Therefore, abundant seasonal fish captured at the ed of the wet season are preserved for year-round use through fermentation By comparison, the upper deltas have vase and plentiful watercourses, and during the rainy season they are widely flooded As fresh fish is accessible throughout the year, there is usually no need for preservation The lower regions are subjected to severe and sustained flooding every year (Ruddle and Ishige, 2010) Fermented fish products are indispensable across Southeast Asia for economically weaker communities who consume relatively large quantities in a daily basis As household incomes increase, however, consumption decreases in favor of either “delicatessen-like” fermented fish products, or increasingly commercialized products such as fish sauce, that displace the coarser, traditional village items, like fish paste (Ruddle and Ishige, 2010) In the late 1920’s, bagoong was synonymous with the Family name: Lorenzana, from Don Felipe Lorenzana who started large-scale manufacturing of bagoong in the Philippines According to family oral history, Don Felipe and his cousin, Delfin, has already experimented with the product since the early 1900 but were stumped on the hows The Bagoong Lorenzana brand was the only large-scale producer for a long time Tin cans were used to pack the fermented fish But because the tin cans rusted quickly, Don Felipe thought of using earthen jars or burnays (in Iloco) to contain the bagoong, an idea he copied from the grandfather of Sostenes Lorenzana, who was then in the basi business This gave birth to the Lorenzana bagoong and patis (Esguerra and Bajet Jr., 2008) anchovies and krill which harvested by the fishermen of Agoo, La Union The bagoong that is produced in La Union was made up by small scale producer and mostly by homemade maker The regional bagoong especially bagoong armang is seasonal since the harvesting season for the bagoong fishes starts from September until December The sellers of the local market acquire their product in Pangasinan, which is known for bagoong in the country, even after the town developed its regional bagoong The regional bagoong has its own story, including the history, pre and post-production process from the fisherman to the vendor The history of the bagoong is not fully known of the manufacturers, the knowledge of making bagoong are known from their ancestors and learned through observations The small scale manufacturers follow basic safety standards during processing of bagoong However, it is not enough since most of them not have any permit to operate so the business are just limited and not guaranteed that it is safe The packaging of the bagoong is mixed up of traditional way and common packaging The packaging of the homemade bagoong are usually delivered through drums and bucket covered with plastic And the vendors usually sold it by retailed plastic bag and for the bagoong that came from big manufacturer and nearby province placed in plastic pouch and bottled glass with a good labeling of their product Moreover, due to the lack of safety practices and observation of the researcher, the bagoong of Agoo, La Union, may have a potential risk in microbial and physical due to its lack of sanitary permit and hygienic practices during the processing of bagoong However, even the manufacturers not follow some safety protocol, there are no reported cases concerning health issue related to bagoong And lastly, from 47 the previous researches, fermented fish similar to bagoong, fish paste, have a health benefits in our health like anticariogenic activity 48 PART V CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS This section presents the summary of the present study Recommendations were drawn on the research findings as it aims to promote the regional bagoong in La Union, and the safety awareness of the product 5.1 Conclusion Bagoong is an integral part of the Ilocano community since traditionally it has been considered as a staple ingredient in most Ilocano cuisines Bagoong is served as an important side dish or a main dish, mostly the main additives and appetizer of most famous Ilocano dishes that depict the traditional identity of most Ilocano people Filipinos are proud of how great the food in every region Likewise, there is growing interest in knowing the origin as a measure of the integrity of their unique regional food It is with the hope that through this empirical study, the most important take-home message is presented in an international platform: the increase in the documentation of existing traditional and rich indigenous food culture in the Philippines is urgently needed by the country for the continuity of food knowledge and improvement of safety practices that many small scale regional food industries in the Philippines needs to uphold for the sake of food safety, cultural promotion and national identity 5.2 Recommendations Based on the results, four important recommendations were formulated that aims to promote the regional bagoong and its safety 49 Promotion on regional bagoong Most of the commercialized bagoong especially the bagoong sida were come from the nearby provinces We can promote it by introducing more the local bagoong to the market and improvement of the packaging so it will be appealing to the consumer and known that is locally made Moreover, more variety of the bagoong can also promote the local produced bagoong Safety awareness Most of the manufacturers of bagoong followed a basic standard of food safety such as washing their hands Moreover, the processes of making bagoong of the small scale manufacturer were processed in their house, where the environments are busy and unhygienic If hygienic practice is not strictly observed, fresh fish can be highly hazardous to health Thus, seminars to the manufacturers can help to increase the awareness of safety of the manufacturer Improvement of technology The 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research through being interviewed The purpose of my participation as an interviewee in this research has been explained to me clearly May participation as an interviewee in this research is voluntary There is no explicit or implicit enforcement to participate Participation involves being interviewed by a researcher from TUAF I allow the researcher to take written notes during the interview; I also may allow the recording by audio video tape and taking photo of the interview It is clear to me that in case I not want the interview to be taped I am at any point of time fully entitled to withdraw from participation I have the right not to answer any of the questions if I feel uncomfortable during the session, I have the right to withdraw from the interview I have been given the clear guarantees that, if I wish so, the researcher will not identify me by name or function in any report using information obtained from this interview and that my confidentiality as a participant in this study will remain secure The access to the interview transcript will be limited only to Ms Pauline Damaso and her supervisors _ Participant’s signature _ Researcher’s Signature Date Date 58 Appendix 2: Letter of formality for the mayor of Agoo, La Union 59 Appendix 3: Letter of formality to the captain of barangay San Julian West, Ago, La Union 60 Appendix 4: Letter of formality to the barangay of Balawarte, Agoo, La Union 61 ... Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Philippines and Indonesia in South East Asia Fish and fish products are great sources of polyunsaturated fatty acids, essential minerals and vitamins, and are a vital component... filth, sand and dust (Mahanta and Muzaddadi, 2013) There are almost as many traditional fermented fish packaging method as there are ways to make them- such as earthenware pots, oil cans, drums and. .. well-known to the manufacturers of Agoo, La Union The manufacturers of bagoong follow a food safety protocol The packaging of the bagoong uses a traditional way of packaging The bagoong of Agoo, La Union