Jam the Yogurt | Series 1 Prelude
Last Saturday IHY launched its new food innocation series with a bang!!! This innovative event aims at creating a safe space for the food entrepreneurs and producers to meet, discuss and foster innovation in the industry of Myanmar. The session was well attended with great participation from the audience. There were amazing presentations on the food sector as well as interesting guest speakers. (Honorable Guest Speakers: Kyaw Thu Htet (Founder of MILS) and Calvin Pun (Founder of KekoKua | Haven Honey)
Products were available to see and to discuss processing and marketing techniques with the producers – and to taste!!! Showcasing included: Chat Kyee and Haven Honey.
With the technology sector and retail sector growing, many young people and even the policy makers in Myanmar tend to overlook the importance of promoting Myanmar food and agricultural sector. As a consequence, Myanmar producers, especially food entrepreneurs and enthusiasts run into heavy roadblocks. Impact Hub Yangon team has long have the passion of providing guidance for the entrepreneurial community in Myanmar. With this new innovative event, IHY team aims to help support and grow the food entrepreneurial community of Myanmar.
The topics discussed during the forum:
1. Do we need to consider food safety in value chain when we processing food through different value adders to become value-added products? How important is it? And what is the best way to control it?
2. Who are the relevant stakeholders in this process? What can they help with? Do they make things more complicated or easier?
3. As an entrepreneur, what roles we can take and what can we contribute to improve the food sector?
Both honorable guest speakers touched heavily on the food safety concept. Founder of MILS noted that they are dedicated to be the innovative focused company that aims to bring the values of food safety sustainability to the food chain. Ko Kyaw Thu Htet focuses on the importance of producers to comply with, at the least, basic cleanliness and safety standards in processing and final packaging. Founder of KekoKua stated Haven Honey has surpassed the food standard of Myanmar FDA. After going through the lengthy and difficult administration process for 14 months, Haven Honey proudly holds the Myanmar FDA certificate as well as a hard-core customer base through respected chains like City-Mart Marketplace. Calvin highlighted the strict process of keeping dust away from the production site as well as the heavy efforts required to keep the site up to the required standards.
As an ending part of the fire-side chat, audience raised the 2 notable questions regarding:
1) Myanmar FDA regulations on getting the products certified
2) What is the motivation behind the founders to start a food start-ups
