Thursday, May 27, 2010

Hazim's Reflection

This semester, we have to juggle two things namely school and attachment. Work has been perplexing enough and honestly having another module to do during the student internship programme is very tough on us. It has taken its toll on me early during the student internship programme. I felt very stressed when I had to juggle work and school. I was the group leader then. I could not handle the responsibility so I handed it over to Boo Keong. I believe it’s good to realise your limits as an individual and not push yourselves too hard so that you won’t overwork yourself. I apologised to the group for my submission of being the leader and Boo Keong gracefully risen to the occasion and offered to help me.

As I mentioned, doing school work and attachment at the same time is taxing. Additionally, it is group work so everyone had to be involved to do the work. It was hard as everyone had their own schedule. We tried many means of communications. Mostly via chat logs, Facebook and sometimes, Skype. Skype is a software application that allows users to make voice calls over the Internet. It was very hard to meet up in person as everyone was busy and some of us had shift work and the only time we are free is after office hours or even Sundays. We made through it somehow without much communication though. Blackboard was hard tp access for some of us but we did manage to get some posts up. As of now, with the report submitted in, I am proud of my group mates for their tireless efforts. All the best for the tests and the student internship programme.

Gobbled BAK KUT TEH at 10:20 AM

Friday, May 21, 2010

HUI WEN'S REFLECTION

This was my most fruitful learning experience. This semester is all about time and task management. It was not easy at all for us because meanwhile project is assigned to us, we are also having our internship. the only time we can discuss is during Friday night and weekends.

a few attempts trying to get the whole group to come online, but failed as some was busy with the work given by their supervisors, some ended work late. And so, our progress was delayed. However, most of us had made the effort for a group online discuss despite being so drained out. We are willing to compromise to the common time like 11.30, knowing that it wont end early. Compromising is something we have to always bear in mind and keep learning. and we finished everything by Sunday and was already checking on Sunday night and also Monday.

During the group discussions, everyone participated with enthusiasm, trying to clear their doubts, reassuring that we were on the right track. It was even better when our group members voice out their thoughts so the rest could be able to share the correct concept. I think it is better to clarify any doubts before the mistakes become serious.

i was very satisfy with the group performance and i can see everyone's effort in doing this report. Great work!

Gobbled BAK KUT TEH at 8:45 AM

Thursday, May 20, 2010

Jake's Reflection on Package 1

21 May 2010



Looking back at these few weeks :) I would say it has been a fruitful and beneficial experience. I've not only learnt new things about food safety but also in regards to being a better team player and contributor to this group project.



Regarding food safety, i've learnt that it is especially important for a food company to have a QC system in place. To ensure not just the safety of the consumers when consuming the food product, but to ensure a standard of quality to be delivered to the consumers consistently. With a proper QC system in place, the safety in the production of the food product will not be compromised and it will ensure employees are professionally trained to handle anything that would have any contact with food.



Regarding being part of this great team. I believe in the importance of being open with one another and as the saying goes "Iron sharpens iron" when we are honest with one another we would be able to improve ourselves better. I appreciate the honesty with one another because when I did not understand the importance of sieving, there is always other group members around to correct and teach despite the difficulty in making me see certain facts haha.



Good Package 1 guys!

Disclaimer: No animals or humans were harmed intentionally in the making of this project, even if have i don't care. Names mentioned in this blog post is intentional and relational. No offensive remarks were directed at anyone, if the reader excluding all lecturers is offended i don't care. Have a nice day enjoy the reflection. Cheers.

Gobbled BAK KUT TEH at 10:34 PM

BooKeong's Reflection on Package 1

Using my company's product was splendid in facilitating the whole project outline. Since i will be able to get first hand information, i would be the best person to relate to everyone anything or possibly every single information required.

The biggest yardstick would be gathering everyone and conducting a meeting that could accommodate every one's free time. Meetings are essential to let the whole group know about the progress and the tasks they need to do. Since all my group members are all occupied with their own student internship assignments the free time for them would only be on the weekends. Hence, we were actually given very limited amount of time to complete this report.

In the nutshell, I felt that all the necessary steps, work and points were stated in the report. I'm pretty adamant that we can achieve something out this report. Everyone did put in their hardwork in producing it. I'm delighted by every member's effort and hopefully package 2 would enable us to work even better.

Gobbled BAK KUT TEH at 12:25 AM

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

We have decided to choose Bak Kut Teh as the food product for Package One.

Here are some several related information

Task: Amount Limit per ingredient as permitted by FDA
Spices and Condiments under Food Regulations

213. Spices and condiments shall be sound aromatic vegetable substances used for flavouring of food, from which no portion of any oil or other flavouring substance, naturally contained in them, has been removed. The standard specified for the various spices shall apply to spices whether whole, partly ground or in powder form.

1. Chinese Angelica

2. Barbary Wolfberry Fruit

3. Szechwan Lovage Rhizome

4. Liquorice Root

5. Cinnamon
219. Cinnamon shall be the dried bark of cultivated varieties of cinnamomum zeylanicum, Nees, or C. cassia L., from which the outer layers may not have been removed.
It shall contain -
(a) not more than 5% total ash;
(b) not more than 2% ash insoluble in hydrochloric acid; and
(c) not less than 0.5% volatile essential oil.

6. Star Anise
234. Star anise shall be the dried, ripe fruit of Illicium verum Hooker filius. It shall be free from admixture by Illicium anisatum Linn.

7. Pepper

232. Black pepper or pepper corn shall be the sound fruit of Piper nigrum and shall contain -
(a) not more than 3% deteriorated fruits or any extraneous matter;
(b) not more than 5% light berries;
(c) not more than 8% total ash;
(d) not more than 1.5% ash insoluble in hydrochloric acid;
(e) not less than 6.75% non-volatile ether extract; and
(f) not less than 30% starch.

233. White pepper shall be dried, mature berry of Piper nigrum L. From which the outer coating or the outer and inner coatings are removed and shall contain -
(a) not more than 5% of crude fibre;
(b) not more than 3.5% total ash;
(c) not more than 0.3% of ash insoluble in hydrochloric acid;
(d) not less than 7% of non-volatile ether extract; and
(e) not less than 52% of pepper starch.

8. Fennel
225. Fennel fruit or seeds shall be the dried, ripe fruit of cultivated plants of Foeniculum vulgare. It shall be free from sand, earth or other dirt and shall contain -(a) not more than 4% foreign organic matter, seeds or stalks;(b) not more than 9% total ash;(c) not more than 2% ash insoluble in hydrochloric acid; and(d) not less than 4% volatile oil.

9. Coriander
221. Coriander shall be the dried fruit of the coriander plant an shall contain not more than -(a) 7% total ash; and(b) 1.5% ash insoluble in hydrochloric acid
The above herbs and spices are regarded as natural ingredients. In Singapore, natural ingredients have no limitations in the product. Any excessive increase in certain ingredients would have change the taste of the bak kut teh.

10. Salt
211. Salt other than crude rock salt, shall be crystalline sodium chloride and shall contain on a dry basis not more than
(a) 1.4% calcium sulphate;(b) 0.5% calcium and magnesium chlorides; and(c) 0.1% other matters insoluble in hot deci-normal solution of hydrochloric acid

11. Sugar
143. Sugar shall be the food chemically known as sucrose, and if sold as granulated, loaf cut, cube, milled or powdered shall contain not less than 99.5% (w/w) sucrose.

12. MSG
246. Monosodium glutamate or the mono-sodium salt of L-glutamic acid shall contain not less than 98% of the mono-sodium salt of glutamic acid on a dry basis and shall have a specific rotation in 0.5% normality hydrochloric acid at a temperature of 25 degree Celsius of not less than +24.2 degrees and not more than +25.5 degrees.

13. Disodium Inosinate

14. Disodium Guanylate
First Schedule
Permitted use of general terms in the declaration of ingredientsHerbs when forming an ingredient of some other food at a level not exceeding 2% by weight of such food.Spices, when forming an ingredient of some other food at a level not exceeding 2% by weight of such food.
Singapore has no limitations for these ingredients. Disodium Inosinate and guanylate is used in minimal amounts as they are quite expensive. MSG, sugar, salt are used more in Bak Kut Teh as they are cheaper, do not have as strong an intensity compared to the other two additives and Singapore has no usage limits for them.

Gobbled BAK KUT TEH at 11:43 PM

Processing Steps

Heating – All ingredients that are needed for the bak kut the spice. Heated above 100°C at the production area 1


Mixing – All cooked ingredients will be weighed and now all the ingredients needed will be combined needed for one packet at mixing area. It will then be brought back into the the Production Area 1 for heating above 100°C again.


Grinding – All ingredients that were needed for each and every packet will be grinded into powder using the powder making machine at the production area 2


Adding of food enhancers – After the ingredients are being grinded into powder, they will be added with the food enhancers using a big mixer at production area 2


Prepacking – Everything will be brought to the prepacking room to put the powder into various tea bags using the packaging machine at the prepacking area


Final Packing – All teabags will be packed into the aluminium packaging using the a different packaging machine at the final packaging area


Final Check – All packets will be brought to the checking/holding area to packed into cartons and then it will be sent to various department stores.

Ingredients

1. Chinese Angelica
2. Barbary Wolfberry fruit
3. Szechwan Lovage Rhizome
4. Liquorice Root
5. Cinnamon
6. Star Anise
7. Pepper
8. Fennel
9. Coriander
10. Salt
11. Sugar
12. MSG
13. Disodium InosinateDisodium guanylate

Gobbled BAK KUT TEH at 11:39 PM