Local noni juice gets national ODOP recognition
Local noni juice gets national ODOP recognition
Officials from the Ministry of Industry and Commerce's Trade and Promotion Department had unveiled a national ‘One District One Product' (ODOP) plaque for the Nam Mak Yor (noni juice) production unit in Phonsavang village, Chanthabouly district, Vientiane.
The ceremony was performed on Tuesday, attended by department Director General Mr Somvang Ninthavong, Chanthabouly district Deputy Governor Mr Phetsamay Natphasouk and the Nam Mak Yor producers.
The event was partly to introduce ‘Thisavang Noni Juice' as an ODOP recognised product and also to promote the concept of ODOP production in the country.
The department Deputy Director General Mr Phouvong Phommabouth said “This noni juice producer, Ms Buathip Homchandee and her family members, get the ODOP plaque because they process from simple fruit to a juice ready to drink.”
The criteria and standards of products that are selected for ODOP recognition include local produce, local raw materials (at least 80 percent), local wisdom, production processing and package design, and the product must be of high quality and be certified by the concerned sectors, according to a handout.
The handout also noted that ODOP aims to generate direct income for the producers, especially the poor people.
Mr Phouvong said that ODOP endorsement means a quality product that will be one way of helping in poverty reduction because ODOP benefits employment and incomes.
“The ODOP certificate will push Ms Buathip and her family members to work harder because ODOP also means a national label,” he said.
Her noni juice has now become ODOP certified because of the great effort she and her family have put into production and improvement, and the product is also becoming increasingly popular.
Ms Buathip said she and her family started their juice production in 2006 with only one kind of product. Now, however, they are producing 17 kinds of different drinks made from noni, moringa and false tamarind.
She also plans to have another new product, false tamarind juice, in the next few months because samples are currently being tested at the Food and Drug Department before a quality certificate can be issued.
Mr Phouvong said the trade and promotion department recently gave ODOP certification for two products in the Sisattanak district of Vientiane. At the moment there are five provinces, Champassak, Savannakhet, Xekong, Attapeu and Saravan, seeking certification for products being produced in them.
The noni fruit is known to provide many health benefits. It contains vitamin C, calcium, protein, magnesium, potassium, beta-carotene and all of the B vitamins. It has a strong smell and a bitter taste, but has nutritional value.
It is an unusual looking fruit that resembles a grenade, complete with a lumpy texture. It grows in tropical locations on an evergreen shrub that bears the fruit year round.
vientiane times
