Culinary art or hard science? Hardcore laboratory work or simple luto-luto lang? If you’ve ever wondered what food technology actually is, or why it matters to you, then look no further than this year’s PAFT-α Month. On its 53rd year, PAFT-α aims to bring its own brand of food technology to a wider audience. A food technology that marries all fields that work towards how the food you eat gets from the farm to your fork. And to PAFT-α, a food technology that aims, first and foremost, to serve the needs of the Filipino people.
Ever since 1965, the Philippine Association of Food Technologists – Alpha Chapter has been bringing this brand of food technology with its various events and advocacies. Now with 53 years of Alphan service, PAFT-α brings another PAFT-α Month. With a lineup of events that aim to show the best that food technology can be, this year’s PAFT-α month promises to engage and entertain both professionals and newcomers to the field. PAFT-α guarantees a jam-packed February for the field of food science and technology.
Kick-starting the PAFT-α month is NAVIGATE: Venturing Into Food Business, a career seminar from business-owners in the field of food technology. Featuring big names such as Nene Tamayo-Plamio of Nene Prime Foods, NAVIGATE is a perfect starting point for anyone’s foray into food business.
SURGE exhibits the field of food science and technology in a fun, engaging, and informative manner. With exhibits that take after the likes of Museong Pambata and Mind Museum, SURGE is sure to entertain food technologists as well as educate the general public as to what food technology actually is. SURGE also serves to celebrate 53 years of PAFT-Alphan service and achievement to the field of food science and technology.
RESONATE is a food tech symposium that aims to showcase the cutting-edge of innovation in various sectors of the food industry. Tracing the different parts that make up the food process chain from farm to fork, as well as tackling recent legal changes in the field, RESONATE promises to be a must-go for anyone who wants to stay in-the-know in a constantly changing field.
INVIGORATE: Junior Food Quiz Bowl and Lab Tour aims to pit the best of the country’s high schools against each other in a test of knowledge on food science and technology as well as its allied fields. In a spirit of friendly, burning competition, INVIGORATE becomes an avenue to forge the new generations of food technologists, ones who will continue to advance the field in service to the country and community.
ACTUATE is PAFT-α’s community outreach. As part of its continued service to the community, PAFT-α endeavors to use its knowledge of FST to assist the staff of Heart at Play Foundation as well as interact with and entertain its beneficiaries.
To cap off the entirety of PAFT-α month is ILLUMINATE, an anniversary dinner for current Alphans as well as PAFT-α alumni, both young and old. A bright, jovial night of drink and camaraderie, ILLUMINATE hopes to strengthen the bonds of friendship and family between current members and to establish connections with the alumni of the organization. ILLUMINATE will prove that after 53 years of service, there remains only one PAFT-α.
This year’s PAFT-α month could not have been made possible without the support from sponsors, organization partners, and media partners. For more information on the events of PAFT-α month, you may visit the Facebook page of PAFT-Alpha at facebook.com/paftalpha.
