hopia anyone?
@SIMPLYD (90722)
Philippines
August 14, 2011 8:28pm CST
Last Saturday at Imbestigador, they showed a hopia factory which they have secretly documented as with a dirty working place and the workers are without shirts while cooking them and are sweating while they do the cooking. 
And do you know that the “ube” was made of peas only. The workers are putting them into their packages without any gloves, and their fingers were dirty! The filling to the hopias were in an open basin , just underneath the tables where they work. The tables are where the workers would sleep when they are already tired and resting.
But when Imbestigador goes to the factory again together with the Food Authorities, the place was already clean, the workers are already in uniform but are still not using gloves when packaging those hopias. 
At least , after that , they were taught the way how to hygienically handle the hopias to be packaged. But, do they follow what they learn after that? 
And do you know that the “ube” was made of peas only. The workers are putting them into their packages without any gloves, and their fingers were dirty! The filling to the hopias were in an open basin , just underneath the tables where they work. The tables are where the workers would sleep when they are already tired and resting.
But when Imbestigador goes to the factory again together with the Food Authorities, the place was already clean, the workers are already in uniform but are still not using gloves when packaging those hopias.
At least , after that , they were taught the way how to hygienically handle the hopias to be packaged. But, do they follow what they learn after that? 1 person likes this
16 responses
@ravisivan (14079)
• India
15 Aug 11
SIMPLYD; What is hopia? I think it should be an eatable item. Imebstigator is name of a place?
Talking about hygiene in hotels less said the better it is. What is ube?
My mother use to advise eating food made in the house only mainly for this purpose. I think this is a universal issue.
@SIMPLYD (90722)
• Philippines
15 Aug 11
Hopia is a sweet, round crusty pastry. It has different fillings, ube and baboy (pork meat with onions) among others.
Ube , is a root crop, violet in color. It would be cooked and mashed with some bit of sugar and will be made into a filling for the hopia.
It's really delicious specially with the baboy filling. 
@ravisivan (14079)
• India
15 Aug 11
SIMPLYD; Now I could follow it is like our vegetable puff or chicken puff like that we get in India. -- Similar to Samosa being made with potato filled inside a making. thanks
Greenpeas: Thanks for informing the name of the eatable item. See we are learning new things through mylot thaks to Philipine friends.
@ckyera (17332)
• Philippines
19 Aug 11
I have seen that episode on Imbestigador too and it's really disgusting to see the condition of the hopia factory in that place. It's good that the program was able to expose such things and get the attention of the authorities but I hope that it will not just end there...I'm afraid that after that, the factory will be back in it's dirty works! So sad that these business men don't have any concern for other people who might get sick from eating their products...
I wonder if other hopia factories also uses peas in their ube, coz ube hopia is one of my husband's favorite...but what we bought are those from supermarkets and the cube ones...i just don't know the brand... hehe
@ckyera (17332)
• Philippines
19 Aug 11
Yeah, not only that hopia factory...there's still a lot that the program exposed which is even more disgusting, I remember the I think its a "suman" factory...its even more disgusting coz the place is dirty, the workers even used their mouth in tying the product, there are also animals around, and some workers even pee and bathed on the vicinity...
Yes, that's why it's better to buy there even if it's a little more expensive. Now I don't feel comfortable buying hopia on sari-sari store specially if I don't know the brand...
Same here, I hope that the authorities in their place also do a regular inspection on them...
Yes, that's why it's better to buy there even if it's a little more expensive. Now I don't feel comfortable buying hopia on sari-sari store specially if I don't know the brand...
Same here, I hope that the authorities in their place also do a regular inspection on them...@SIMPLYD (90722)
• Philippines
19 Aug 11
Yes, i have seen those cases also. Kadiri!
You are right, it's better to buy those a bit expensive ones, than risking with those cheap ones.
@SIMPLYD (90722)
• Philippines
19 Aug 11
It's really disgusting seeing the expose shown by Imbestigador.
I think those being sold at supermarkets are those that are the bigger players in the field. For sure they have passed the standard of the Food Administration.
I just hope too, that factory will now follow what is being taught to them by the Food Administration authorities.
I think those being sold at supermarkets are those that are the bigger players in the field. For sure they have passed the standard of the Food Administration.
I just hope too, that factory will now follow what is being taught to them by the Food Administration authorities. 
@my_january (967)
• Philippines
15 Aug 11
Ohhhhh I guess this is not the famous brand Eng Bee Tin right? I love to eat Hopia, but I usually buy Eng Bee Tin, they've got a pretty good varieties of hopia to choose from. And also, there is bakery near our place where a can buy hopia they personally made... It was nice that the factory is caught and taught with proper way of handling the Hopia's they sell to people...
@my_january (967)
• Philippines
15 Aug 11
ilovechocolate, I said it's not,,, probably it's not that famous brand... I guess Eng bee Tin is made in a clean way... 
@SIMPLYD (90722)
• Philippines
15 Aug 11
Don't worry guys, it's not Eng Bee Tin! It's a local factory in Pangasinan.
I know, Eng Bee Tin makes their hopia according to the standards. I love their hopia baboy! I could eat 3 in one sitting, together with a bottle of coke! Yummy!
@LetranKnight25 (33121)
• Philippines
17 Aug 11
Hello Simplyd, as long as they are being monitored they won't repeat it again. I just don't understand why companies, institutions had to be scrutenized by the show just for them to be corrected. this is one thing i hate about my country, too much focus on money and profit and disregarding the safety of the passengers who in the future will consume those products to their stomachs.
@SIMPLYD (90722)
• Philippines
17 Aug 11
That's right. Some businessman only thinks of profit. They don't even think of the safety of their customers.
I just hope that with what Imbestigador has aired, people who owns factories will be more cautious now.
@leon3000502000 (1564)
• Philippines
16 Aug 11
wow that's good news.
when i want to buy hopia i need to consider the brand and the packaging and it should be bfad approved
@SIMPLYD (90722)
• Philippines
15 Aug 11
yes, it's not from Cavite. You can heave a sigh of relief.
But maybe you can at least more or less, interview your supplier how they do their hopia. That way, you can more or less gauge if the hopia is safe to eat always.
@jaiho2009 (39142)
• Philippines
15 Aug 11
hello simplyD,
Yaww...well, there's a lot of food factory or companies that are not following sanitary rules when it comes to preparing foods.
Good thing we have some press that try their best to investigate these matter.
I hope owners will consider the hygiene and think of their customer's health and not only their earnings.
so bad...
have a good day dear
jaiho®
jaiho®@SIMPLYD (90722)
• Philippines
16 Aug 11
Yes, there are some factories, who because they just want to profit more, wouldn't like to improve their place. It could have been that, even if the place is old, they could have done all the necessary measures to ensure the sanitation of their factory. It is the most important aspect in food production.
@chiwasaki (4694)
• Philippines
15 Aug 11
I saw that last Saturday. It is very obvious that someone from municipal hall already tipped the owner that they will visit the following day. I think they will follow the procedures since they are expecting that there will be another visit to double check their production. But probably after some time, they will forget to use gloves and hairnet again.
@SIMPLYD (90722)
• Philippines
15 Aug 11
yes, indeed it could be someone from the municipal hall that tipped them. Maybe , he was given a reward by the owner for tipping him.
I just hope those officials will really monitor that factory.
@louievill (28851)
• Philippines
15 Aug 11
I honestly feel that media sometimes have a way of sensationalizing things at the expense of others, can't really blame them because they make money doing that. Well if it's hopia then they should focus on the particular factory involved, I love hopia but I buy the more expensive ones from a reputable bake shop that had been around for decades (probably older than me), Salazar bake shop to be precise. The news sensationalises, a few years back we saw an excerpt about taho ( bean curds) really "kadiri" (eeky), but I realized that if one factory was dirty, it does not mean that all factories in the country are dirty
and I would not sacrifice the health benefits it brings to my family, but we were in a way affected so we stopped buying tokwa (tofu) and taho for a while, but come to think how such journalism could affect the income of our countrymen especially common folks and big networks rake in all the money
and I would not sacrifice the health benefits it brings to my family, but we were in a way affected so we stopped buying tokwa (tofu) and taho for a while, but come to think how such journalism could affect the income of our countrymen especially common folks and big networks rake in all the money@SIMPLYD (90722)
• Philippines
16 Aug 11
Actually, Imbestigador didn't generalize at all. They tackled only that particular reported factory , by a concerned citizen. It doesn't mean that because of that expose, all factories of hopia are like that.
@katrinapaz (2436)
• Philippines
15 Aug 11
i have not seen the episode since i was at work but thank you so much for posting this as i was also updated. i love eating hopia but then because of that factory the way we look at hopia is now tarnished. i just hope that there are more factories out there that maintain the cleanliness when they pack our food.
@SIMPLYD (90722)
• Philippines
15 Aug 11
Well, i guess it's a warning for all those small manufacturers of Hopia. I think those well known ones have their standards for quality hopia , so they are strict when it comes to production. They wouldn't want their famous name to be tarnished.
@alquizar (480)
• Philippines
16 Aug 11
I think it really depends on the bakery how it was made because some known bakery i knew I think they made hopia in a hygienic way and they made it with the proper fillings of the hopia on what is really their flavor.Thank you so much for the info.at least I know now how some bakery made it.
@SIMPLYD (90722)
• Philippines
16 Aug 11
Well, that show didn't generalize those hopia makers. They just want to caution the public to be more discerning on the hopias they buy, among other foods we always buy.
@flowerfest08 (1677)
•
15 Aug 11
hi:)
I love to eat hopia, I eat engbeetin or tipas, I like their ube and monggo flavor, actually every friday when my father went home from work he always bring hopia home because one of his office mate is selling that on their office every friday, I hope non of that brand of hopia was you're talking about, because I still want to eat those.
@SIMPLYD (90722)
• Philippines
15 Aug 11
Just don't eat those hopias made from that factory in Pangasinan.
Tell your dad that he buys only from the two brands. At least they are quality ones.
@airamtheb (370)
•
15 Aug 11
I love Hopia. Here in Mindanao, we have a Hopia with Durian filling and it is very delicious.I missed that Imbestigador last Saturday but I know how this particular tv program has successfully monitored some establishments that failed to meet the hygienic standards in food production. This kind of work is supposed to be the responsibility of the local Sanitary Inspector in every town and city to check all the kitchens in all food establishments,like bakeries and restaurants including the local carenderias.They dont have to wait for an Imbestigador to do this for them and these local officials to act as if they have been doing their part when they are really not...Isn't it shameful for the officials?
@SIMPLYD (90722)
• Philippines
16 Aug 11
It is really so shameful for the officials when they saw the footage, secretly taken inside the factory .
But somehow, i guess one of those people from the municipal hall tipped the owner that a raid will be done , so it was more or less clean when they arrived.
@Fragab (128)
• Philippines
15 Aug 11
I hate it when they show that kind of stuff. LOL, now, I can't enjoy eating hopia, suman, yema, pastillas, taho and a lot more. You know what they say, what you do not know won't hurt you, right? Well. essentially it will...LOL...at least if you hadn't know that they cook it like that, you won't have anyone else to blame but yourself. Or you'll just wonder all your life why you have amoebiasis and typohid. LOL. Now I can't those stuff even if I wanted to...sigh!
@SIMPLYD (90722)
• Philippines
16 Aug 11
Well, don't let that isolated case be a deterrent for eating your comfort foods. Just be try to be more vigilant. Buy those quality ones, because we can more or less be sure that they have a quality to maintain.
@ebuscat (5935)
• Philippines
15 Aug 11
For me maybe but no person killed because they eat hopia me I like it I would prefer it to eat rather than the bread.
@SIMPLYD (90722)
• Philippines
15 Aug 11
Well, you cannot be killed instantly by eating those dirty hopia. It will take time to accumulate as you keep on eating them. But you never know what will happen should you keep on eating dirty hopia.
I think, it will be better that you eat those quality hopia. Don't buy from bakeries you think are dirty looking ones.
I think, it will be better that you eat those quality hopia. Don't buy from bakeries you think are dirty looking ones. 
@toniganzon (72285)
• Philippines
15 Aug 11
HOnestly, I think they won't be following what they have learned. It's most people's behavior than when no one is observing or checking them, they are bound to be back to their usual bad habits.
But i'm hoping against hope that they would.
@SIMPLYD (90722)
• Philippines
15 Aug 11
I just hope so too. If they won't, that factory in Pangasinan will be closed. They will be monitored by the DFA.
It's a good thing , it's not the brand that is so famous.
