RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
Innovation, a key driving force for sustainable food systems transformation, is crucial for food industry ensuring survival and profitability amidst constantly evolving consumer demands and expectations of retailers seeking new products. At the core of innovation is the research and development activities leveraging new emerging technologies to create new products, concepts and business models.
At MILS, as a company creating values in the ecosystem based on scientific expertise, R&D is not only a business development activity but an important pivot leveraged in the intersection of corporate responsibility, industrial collaboration and business development.
R&D Activities, Studies and Surveys
Food Innovation: Shelf Life Extension of Mont-Lone-Yay-Paw
Mont-Lone-Yay-Paw, a widely common traditional Myanmar snack, has technical challenges of short shelf life to be produced and distributed as a commercial product. MILS collaborated with one of its international partners, Republic Polytechnic from Singapore, to find out technical barriers and possible methods to extend its shelf life. Learn More.
Collaboration Partner(s):
Food Safety & Quality: Comparative Analysis of Edible Oils in Myanmar Market
Edible oils are an important part of Myanmar diet. Via this collaboration with Yangon Technological University (YTU), ten oil samples were collected from the market which included four local peanut oils, and one each of the foreign imported olive oil, soybean oil, sesame oil, sunflower oil, corn oil and vegetable oil. They were analysed for their physiochemical properties such as specific gravity, refractive index, volatile matter, acid value, peroxide value and saponification value. Total aflatoxin and pesticide residue were also analysed. The fatty acid composition of the oils was quantitatively determined with gas chromatography mass spectrometer. The results were compared with Codex standards and local Food Voluntary Standards.
Collaboration Partner(s):
Industry Development (Study): Market-Driven Standards and Certifications
MILS was appointed as a consultancy firm for conducting a gap assessment of the food safety and phytosanitary systems and standards and certification service providers in Myanmar for AFDA prioritized sectors (oil seeds, pulses, horticulture, maize, beverage crops, and spices). The gap assessment identified key gaps in the food safety and certification system as well as summarize the needs and requirements of certifications for key international markets to increase awareness of the need for a well-functioning food safety and quality certification system in Myanmar. Learn More.
Contracting Organization(s):
Food Safety & Quality : Development of HACCP System in Fermented Tea Industry
Myanmar is the only country that has the culture of "eating" tea leaves rather than drinking. Fermented tea (Laphet) industry in Myanmar is poised to become a hundred million dollar industry with increasing interest from international market, yet the local production has to be ramped up and food safety and quality have to be improved. In collaboration with Yangon Technological University (YTU) and Myanmar Tea Association (MTA), this project is a collaborative attempt to study the baseline of traditional tea leaves collectors and SME production to map out the associated food safety hazards and identify the Critical Control Points (CCPs) of each stage of production with an aim to develop an HACCP system which is relevant to most fermented tea producers in Myanmar. Learn More.
Collaboration Partner(s):
Animal Health & Food Safety : Effect of probiotic-fortified poultry feed on broiler chickens
(Proceedings of 10th International Conference on Science and Engineering 2019, 7-8 December 2019, Yangon, Myanmar, ICSE2019-EN-55)
Probiotics are increasing popular in livestock industry as the most promising alternative to antibiotics amidst the global concerns of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). MILS has been manufacturing livestock probiotic for poultry and swine farmers in Myanmar under FDA license since 2014 to help farmers reduce the use of antibiotics, optimize the cost and produce safer yet higher value livestock products. In this research, effect of PROBIO-P, a flagship poultry probiotic from MILS, is studied in a well-designed experiment at a commercial broiler chicken farm in Yangon.
Collaboration Partner(s):
Food Safety : Mapping Myanmar Food Safety Ecosystem
(As presented by posters at Food Safety Forum 2019 (Producers Assembly) at Diamond Jubilee Hall, Yangon University, Yangon, Myanmar)
Food safety has been a critical area which needs urgent attention in Myanmar agriculture and food systems in order to have increased access to international market as well as in competing in local market with imported products. MILS, as a company with many activities improving food safety in Myanmar, organized Food Safety Forum 2019 with several co-organizers and supporting organizations. This Food Safety Ecosystem Map is co-developed by MILS and Moss Consultants & Capital and showcased at the forum. Please use the link below to request the soft copy.
Collaboration Partner(s):
Animal Health: Investigating the commercial benefits and improved production matrices of using PROBIO-P in Sakura chickens in Indonesia
Probiotics are well-known alternative for replacement of antibiotics in livestock industry. In this collaborative activity with JAPFA Comfeed Indonesia, the commercial benefits of using MILS' PROBIO-P poultry probiotics in Sakura chickens at a commercial farm in Indonesia was studied. Learn More.
Collaboration Partner(s):
