For having published the first consolidated information on food bio-processing in the country, Priscilla Chinte-Sanchez’s Philippine Fermented Foods: Principles and Technology was conferred the 2010 Outstanding Book Award by the The National Academy of Science and Technology Philippines (NAST) last July 15, 2010 at the Manila Hotel.

The Book

Philippine Fermented Foods: Principles and Technology, which was launched in 2009, is a well-researched material which provides in depth information on the development of the fermentation process from its ancient beginnings to its innovative applications today. The book has six sections which consist of 19 chapters on fermentation principles and local technologies for the production of fermented foods in the Philippines. The material would provide the reader a close look into fermented products in the country, and the principles and the essential microorganisms involved in the various processes in fermentation.

The 516-page book delves deep into the different fermented products in the Philippines, the process of improving and developing ancient fermentation techniques, and fermentation of nutritious and safe foods. It also discussed the standards, regulations, and laws created to ensure the safety and proper monitoring of fermented products in the country.

One of the comparative advantages of Philippine Fermented Foods: Principles and Technology is that it provides comprehensive data on ethnic food fermentation which can only be found in the book. It can serve as an unparalleled source of accurate information for scientists, students, teachers and the food industry.

NAST awards the Outstanding Book Award annually to books published in Philippines or elsewhere by Filipino authors or co-authors within five years preceding the award. The books are judged based on quality and originality of content, contribution to science and technology, clarity of presentation, and thoroughness of documentation.

The Author

Sanchez is a retired professor of the Institute of Food Science and Technology, College of Agriculture and earned her Ph.D. in Applied Microbiology from Tokyo University of Agriculture; her MS Plant Pathology in 1965; and BS Agriculture in 1957 from UPLB. Dr. Sanchez has pioneered and has continued conducting relevant researches about fermentation and its uses in the country. She has authored numerous technical publications, textbooks, conference proceedings, handbooks, manuals and modules. She has been honored with several national and international awards and recognitions. Among which are the Outstanding Microbiologist Award in 1989, Most Distinguished Microbiologist Award in 1990, and the Achievement Award in Biological Sciences by the National Research Council of the Philippines in 2002. She was also the UP Alumni Association’s Centennial Distinguished Alumna in 2008 (Science & Technology).

The “Dr. Priscilla C. Sanchez Awards” was also named in honor of Dr. Sanchez in 2005 by the International Society for Southeast Asian Agricultural Sciences (ISSAAS) to award the outstanding works in agricultural research and excellence in leadership and research of members and affiliates of ISSAAS.

To date, Dr. Sanchez serves as the Chair of the Accreditation Board of the Philippine Academy of Microbiology. She is also a senior research fellow to the DA-Biotechnology Program.

Dr. Sanchez, aside from being a professor and a researcher is also a wife to Dr. Fernando F. Sanchez and a mother to Dr. Fernando C. Sanchez, Jr. and Dr. Maria Matilde C. Sanchez. (ALBGarcia)