Casting balut in vending machines

Team from UST hatches idea to 'democratize' the Pinoy delicacy

- JASPER EMMANUEL ARCALAS

The Philippines produces about 800 million pieces of duck eggs annually. Last year, production reached over 817 million pieces, the second highest output on record.

If all of those eggs would be turned into balut (fertilized duck egg), then every Filipino today may consume balut eight times.

But for a group of researchers, food scientists and engineers from the University of Santo Tomas (UST), the robust income opportunity in producing and selling balut makes it an ideal test case for higher domestic output. The team led by economist.

Ronaldo Cabauatan, an academic researcher at UST's Research Center for Social Sciences and Education, wants to do this by expanding balut's marketability and distribution channels in the country.

But how? Through a vending machine. Yes, a vending machine.

Hatching the idea

The innovation of a balut vending machine was part of the study conducted by Cabauatan's team that started in 2017 titled "Innovative Marketing and Distribution Strategies for balut and New Products." The study received a P5 million funding from the Department of Science and Technology Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (DOST-PCAARRD).

Initially Cabauatan's team were tasked to study the culture of eating balut, determining the nutritional value of the commodity and the marketability of the product.

But a potential partner of DOST-PCAARRD for the creation of the balut vending machine backed out, forcing the agency to ask the UST team if they can build one.

The researchers teamed up with Thomasian engineers, led by then College of Engineering assistant dean Ricardo Balog, composed of faculty members and undergraduate students.

Aside from Cabauatan and Balog, the Thomasian team was also composed of Maria Alejandria, Elizabeth Arenas, Karen.