Welcome to SACOMA FOOD SCHOOL
Springing from our deep desire for helping in practical application of food product development with relevant Science of Food & Food Innovation and to offer real health and well being and sustainable food productions to our consumer communities.
Together with our healthy food retail stores, we engage in comprehensive consumer awareness training and are always innovating new and creative ways to inspire people to pursue a Quality of Life through a healthy eating and active lifestyle. SACOMA health shops are unique in the retail sector in the emphasis we place on training. This is why we can claim with confidence that when you come through the door of our store you are entering a reputable place of knowledge, service, and food safety.
SACOMA believes in providing the knowledge and resources to make eating well simple and joyful for everyone. Not just to sell our products, but also to promote good food habits and knowledge, driven by innovation and co-creation with our partners. We expand our specialist knowledge on a continuous basis and to ensure the transfer of knowledge that together we can turn innovative food ideas into winning food products for the global healthy consumer market.
The world we live in faces ever-changing societal, environmental, and economic challenges, which are felt regionally, nationally, and globally. That is why our training courses have a mission to connect ideas, people, and communities to inspire people to respond to these challenges and drive positive change through green skills and tech innovations.
Through our Innovation Network, we have united some of the best minds and greatest thinkers from across the globe in areas of innovations, skills, and food technologies. That's why SACOMA FOOD SCHOOL is set to bring many inspirational and educational initiatives intended to empower the consumers and growers and the entire supply chain.
Out courses cover off topics on everything from eco-cooking, new products and emerging trends, health foods, free from snacks and fitness tips, nutrition advice, wellness, recipes, exciting new foods and drinks, farming, climate, packaging, technologies, cultures, traditions, food sustainability, food loss and food waste, global food issues, changing consumer mind set……. And everything in-between……to Waste Management and bio- conversions, new knowledge and insight and trends on alternative proteins and resource management. A platform where stakeholder can share their expertise and knowledge internationally.
Here are our current course and practical study programmes:
Profile spotlight on Food Artisans and sacoma Food school
Food Artisan: Titi Adhiambo
Food Product Theme: Fermenting ancient African grains to support human health in UK/EU
Focused on delivering commercial opportunities for orphan cereals.
to support human health in the UK through the development of products that positively impact on health, social, environmental, and economic value.
For the SACOMA Retail ready products, Titi Adhiambo is working Millet Nutrient Enhanced Fermented Porridge
Pearl millet is one of the oldest cultivated crops and ranks as the sixth most important grain in the world.
A fast-growing cereal, it is perfectly adapted for growing in the arid, drought-prone regions which make up 89% of Kenya's land area.
In common with many other ancient grains, pearl millet is nutrient-rich and gluten free.
It makes an excellent food source for babies as it is easily digestible.
These attributes were of particular interest to the sacoma retail shop.
Through the retail ready training at the sacama food school, we xplored a series of controlled fermentation processes to produce a novel drink that directly addresses the high malnutrition rates among infants in Kenya.
The training helps to identify the best cultures for fermentation to commercially produce a safe, tasty drink of consistent quality and an extended shelf-life.
The final formulation can be kept refrigerated for up to 14 days which greatly improves access to nutrition and efficiency in the supply chain, while reducing wastage.
By optimising the beneficial gut microbes present in the starter culture, this exciting collaboration has created a unique product that supports human health.
As fermentation is an inexpensive energy efficient process, the SACOMA Food schools have also trained the food Artisan trained the artisan to move form small artisan production in hose to become an to produce the drink in bulk , produce revenue and potentially be able to create new jobs and enhance livelihoods in the community.
Future opportunities:
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Commercialising the new product.
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Exploring alternative grains to produce similar fermented drinks.
My name is Josephine Titi.
The product I am making is called Uji - in Swahili, Nyuka - Luo, Oji Baba - Nigeria (from a
one of my classmates), porridge - English. One of the tastes (diet) around the World is Porridge.
Every language has their own word for porridge.
Growing up in the village, part of our diet included porridge. It can be made from maize, sorghum,millet and cassava flour. The porridge can be ordinary or fermented. The porridge I am making is fermented.
Fermented porridge is "The breakdown of a substance by microoganisms, such as yeast and bacteria, in the absence of oxygen, for example, of sugar to ethyl alcohol in making beers, wines and spirits".(Reader's Digest Oxford). Fermented porridge has health benefits for a healthy gut. A probiotic that supports a healthy immune system - "friendly" bacteria for the gut - lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria.
The porridge can be taken in the morning and evening. However, it can be taken anytime of the day.It can be saved hot or cold, with or without sugar. The porridge I am making is from millet flourand raw sugar. Porridge is good for a healthy gut.
OVERVIEW OF PROGRAMME CONTENT AND TEAM
SACOMA Retail Ready Food Artisan Programme Date for first cohort
Starts: 7th March 2024
Ends: 25th April 2024
Duration: 8 weeks (only 1 day per week)
Time: 09.30 – 15. 30
Overview of programme content and team
This is a practical product development programme that combines participant's indigenous skills with application of food science, technical knowledge, acumen, awareness of food safety regulations for packaged foods with industry-relevant commercial practices and QMS for food products, with access to Production Kitchen facilities that'll prepare the participants for NPD in a safety-controlled environment. We will look at their current food products, production processes and apply ways to make them better and ready for retail with scaled up production with recognised standards that demonstrate their approach to quality, good manufacturing processes, alongside a robust quality management system which will result in product assurance and quality for entry into retail market.
Selection / recruitment
Our goal with this initial pilot programme is to select 10-12 food artisans and provide them with the highest quality practical products development support programme.
Participants
We ask that the participating Artisan have a clear food product idea that can significantly accelerate their commercial success. We will work with a selected cluster of individuals and artisans or ethnic food business owners who want to improve their food products or food ideas with guidance on readiness for retail markets but also innovative for future food trends product pipelines. And for people who have a great business story to tell and want to inspire others with their food idea, knowledge, and skill.
Practical retail-ready food and study programme for food Artisans and food Entrepreneurs
We offering a practical approach to support food entrepreneurs and food artisans with an interest in placing their products into retails, to be able to equip themselves with practical skills and knowledge for implementing food processes that will allow them to place in market; packaged food products that are compliant with UK food regulations and that meet the necessary processing requirements for ensuring the quality and microbial safety of food and packaging. Participants will also gain a broad understanding of local and global food trade, movement, logistics and legislation and how this impacts the global food supply industry systems and sustainability with an understanding of how local actions also have consequences for global health, nutrition, and sustainable supplies.
Certification and production facilities
Certificate issued by Barking and Dagenham College
Facilities provided include fully equipped NPD Kitchen, for product development, small scale production, testing. The kitchen has a range of domestic gas, electric, and microwave oven for a range of cooking styles. This collaborative programme between SACOMA and BDC will enable the selected cohort of food and drink artisans and entrepreneurs to improve their competitiveness and underpin future growth and sustainability for diverse cluster of food businesses
Food product innovation for this programme will cut across many disciplines such as food processing, principles of food product design, formulation, basic food biochemistry, sensory analysis (consumer acceptance), food product development with new novel ingredients, sugar replacers, and new product development to comply with local regulations as HFSS, sustainability, food safety, and regulatory practices. Understanding food safety regulations required to meet specific food safety for placing packaged food on the market plus understanding the effect f climate change on food sustainability and climate change and how these impacts on food businesses and final products and markets, including support for continuous R&D (Research and development) for food quality analysis, concept testing, sensory screening, and proximate analysis
