This document summarizes a final project about the manufacturing process of Arequipe at Arequipe Los Pinos IGR. It describes the factory location and equipment used. The process begins with receiving milk and involves adding ingredients like rice flour and sugar, then continuously stirring the mixture as it boils and reduces. After 7 hours of heating and evaporating the milk, the Arequipe is consistently smooth and packed into bags. The packaged Arequipe is then distributed to customers and generates income through multiple business involved in its production and sale. In conclusion, the project highlighted Arequipe's importance as a regional product and experience gained through conducting the research.

1. AREQUIPE LOS PINOS IGR – FINAL PROJECT 1
AREQUIPE LOS PINOS IGR
FINAL PROJECT
NINI JOHANA CALDERON ANTURI
PATRICK DANIEL MARISANCÉN VARÓN
TATIANA CHAVES MONCAYO
UNIVERSIDAD DE LA AMAZONIA
FACULTY OF SCIENCES EDUCATION
ENGLISH BACHELOR DEGREE
FLORENCIA - CAQUETA
2013

2. AREQUIPE LOS PINOS IGR – FINAL PROJECT 2
INTRODUCTION
This project was conducted through observationsofmanufacturingArequipe,
which is also known as “manjarblanco”. Itis prepared by slowly heating
sweetened milk to create a product that derives its taste from the caramelizationofmilk,
changing its flavor and color. It is popular in South America and it is considered one of
the dairy products positioned firmly on the national and international market due to its
delicious taste, the wide variety of presentations, earnings, and the nutritional benefits it
provides to people regardless age, gender or social status. The members of the
groupchose this product to show the process to make Arequipeand demonstratethe
importance ofthis productfor our region. We want to present the manufacturing process
of Arequipe as well as the dietary and nutritional properties of its ingredients,among the
importance of itsmaking. We did this with the cooperation of the owners who allowed
us to know the details of the preparation, packaging and distribution.
In the Colombian market, Arequipe is sold as a daily consumption product. It is
used as a dessert of certain foodsuch as filler in bakery products, pastries and
combination with other sweets for snacks and candies. Nevertheless, it could be found
alone, packed in different forms and containers given the need to provide alternatives
which satisfy consumers’ tastes and desires, and to give greater value to the
product.Through this way, its making provides people not only with nutrients and
proteins, but also with jobs and incomes for many who are involved in this business,
milkman, bags sellers and others.

3. AREQUIPE LOS PINOS IGR – FINAL PROJECT 3
DESCRIPTION OF THE SETTING
Arequipe Los Pinos IGR is located in Los Pinos neighborhood on the street 31 #
1b – 05, Florencia-Caqueta.The factory makes part of a familiar house which since its
building was adequate to hold the company. It has basic and specialize equipment for
manufacturing the product,among which there are a huge wood stove built especially for
the purpose, a pair of big stainless steel pans used to heat the milk until it reaches its
point, and also tools such as an electric mill for grinding the fourteen pounds of rice
needed in the process and a pH meter which is an electronic device used for measuring
the acidity or alkalinityof the milk to stabilize it before heating it to high temperatures in
order to avoid spoiling the final product.
The company, in its early years was called Arequipe Los Pinos,but now it is
named Arequipe Los PinosIGR because of the death of the senior partner. His wife, Ana
IsabelGarzón changed its name after letting the letters of her nameon it.Arequipe Los
Pinos IGRis a family business that is managed by three members of the family, who rule
the company and work there at the same time. Besides, they employ two people more,
RosalbaEscarpeta and NinfaGarzónwho are responsible on the making and packaging of
the product respectively. Mrs. Garzón, who is the owner of the factory, monitors the
making process and is the person in charge of sealing the bags after they have been
filled with Arequipe. Eduardo Muñoz, her son, has different tasks in the company, some
of them arebuying materials, labeling the product and accounting. By Eduardo’s side,
Ana MaríaVaca, his wife, is working as the saleswoman, dealing with orders and
deliveries.

4. AREQUIPE LOS PINOS IGR – FINAL PROJECT 4
OBJECTIVES
GENERAL OBJECTIVES
 Know and learn the process of making Arequipe which is a milk-based product
that leverages the resources of our region, doing a detailed observation of the
work in the factory and how it unfolds step by step, adding ingredients and using
materials and machinery until the product is done.
SPECIFICSOBJECTIVES
 Practice and improve all four skills of communication during the development of
the project as well as in the written work and oral presentation.
 Describe the detailed process of manufacturing Arequipe.
 Identify the nutritional benefits Arequipe provides to people.
 Explain the importance of making Arequipe as a regional product, generating
jobs, incomes, and different benefits to all people involved.

5. AREQUIPE LOS PINOS IGR – FINAL PROJECT 5
HISTORY
Arequipe Los Pinos IGR began with Muñoz family’s idea to learn howto earn
their living. RosebelMuñoz met a man who had empirical knowledge on how to make
Arequipe and with his help; he started preparing the aforementioned.At the beginning,
the product was prepared with half canteen of milk only, and was sold in ounce jars in
shops, homes and schools. Then, Mr. Muñoz traveled to different towns in Caquetáto
sell his product. However, the violence that affected the state at that timeprevented him
to follow that kind of marketing and work in Florencia only. Later, theowners, Mrs.
Garzon and her husband Rosebel Fair Muñoz (RIP) realized that SENA offered a course
on manufacturing milk dairy-based products and they registered to learn how to improve
their product quality and introduce technology in the making of the process.
When they finished the course about twenty years ago, they applied all this
knowledge to make sales and profits doubled and soon expanded the business and built a
stove with two pans. Since that time, they have gradually adapted the infrastructure of
the house and have improved their product over time, based on the experience they have
gained throughout years.The partners of the company have like short-term projection to
expand the production by operating two new pans that were recently made; for the
above-mentioned, it will take two months for the complete drying of the
structure.Additionally, it will be able to support gas pipeline to replace wood if needed,
whereas as long-term projection exists the idea of buying a vehicle to deliver the
product,as well as anespecial pot to make the process much more easier and to reduce
the amount of time to prepare the product.

6. AREQUIPE LOS PINOS IGR – FINAL PROJECT 6
MATERIALS USED IN THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS
Arequipe los AlpesIGR uses different kinds of tools and materials to make its
product. Utilizing since the start of the making, burning wood to heat the wood stove
and pans in which the milk is poured and stirred with a mixing blade until the liquid
reaches its consistency. Also, an electric mill is used for grinding down the rice into
flour, one of the ingredients of Arequipe, that later is blendedand sieved to make
thetexture of the flour finer.When the Arequipe is ready, it is transferred to the hopper
before it cools down, and this one is responsible for the packaging process.After the
packing is done, the product is weighed with a digital gram scale which is used to know
the exact amount of Arequipe in each container.The packaging bags are sealed with a
hot sealer to prevent spillages, and whenever it is necessary they use the table saw to cut
and build the wood crates which are used to transport and deliver the product.
To prepare Arequipe, the factory needs milk, as the main ingredient of the
product, and sodium bicarbonate is added to it in order to avoid the generation of lumps
during the making.The amount of sugar is based on the amount of the milk used, in
order to caramelize it and gives the sweet flavor.Moreover, Sodium benzoate and
potassium sorbet work as preservatives, and the secret ingredient that make this
Arequipe one of the best desserts of our region is the commitment and effort they put on
its making. Along the tools used in the manufacturing process, we found a pH meter, a
sensor that is used to measure the acidity of the milk, beside other devices such as
plastic recipients, buckets, and measuring jugs to remove debris and facilitate the
weighing and packaging of the product.

7. AREQUIPE LOS PINOS IGR – FINAL PROJECT 7
PROCESS
Arequipe Los Alpes IGR starts its process of manufacturing Arequipe every
dayat around eight in the morning, but actually it starts the previous day by leaving the
rice soaking at night. Thus, as most of the materials, everything is ready for the
productionbefore the milkman arrives; they also clean the wood stoves, the pans and
preheat the stove. After the milkman arrives, they add the five and a half previously
ordered canteens of milk with a sieve in the pan, and add the baking soda to prevent the
product from clotting with the high temperaturesit reaches. While the milk is mixed with
the mixing blades, they add a lump of sugar and continue mixing it for about an
hour,stirring every ten minutes until it turns bubbly.An hour and a half after the milk is
boiling;the rice flour previously sifted is liquefied is added to the mixture to continue
stirring for a while. When the milk starts to caramelize and reduce its amount, the liquid
is transferred to a single vessel and the stirring process continues until it reaches the
proper consistency.
There are empirical methods to determine the proximity of the required
concentration. One of them is a consistency test made in water, it consists in taking a
sample of the product with a spoon and adding a drop of it to a glass of water, when the
drop is not divert or disrupt, it indicates that it is already in its concentration point. It
could be confirmed by using a refractometer to determine the brix grades of the product.
Finally, when the mixture is completely consistent, smooth and uniform, the packaging
process begins while the Arequipe is still boiling hot and it is packed into especial
plastic containers which are able to resist high temperatures.The followingsteps are
cooling the product to room temperature for about 2 hours, label, and market it.To be
distributed later as one of the most delicious Arequipein our region.

8. AREQUIPE LOS PINOS IGR – FINAL PROJECT 8
START
Previous treatment
Fabrication steps
ofArequipe
Cooling
Reception of milk
Commercialization
PackagingHomogenization
Evaporation Pasteurization
Storage
Product delivery
END

9. AREQUIPE LOS PINOS IGR – FINAL PROJECT 9
RESULTS
After a long manufacturing process which takes more than seven hours, a
delicious, nutritious, and fortified Arequipe is ready to pack.Once everything is done,the
product is packaged in plastic containers and special bags made of polyethylene because
they must withstand high temperatures to hold the Arequipe. This, due to the
manageability of the product which is easier when it is hot than cold and itsconsistency
facilitates the procedure. The particular bags are produced in Neiva and have the
following ratings for each presentation of the product:One pound of Arequipe is packed
in Caliber 5 bags,one Kilo is packed in Caliber 12 bags, and three poundsare packaged
in Caliber 14 bags. When everything is ready, the product is sold in those three forms
with the following prices: A bag of 1 pound costs $ 2,200,a bag of 1 Kilo costs $ 4,400,
while the bag of 3 pounds cost $ 6,600 pesos.
When the product is labeled and packaged, this is distributed to different
customers like Cheese Makers, Grocery Stores and Bakeries.In this way, the customers
of those places will be able to buy the product and probably use it as an ingredient for
something else which could be sold, generating incomes to any stage it pass through.
Moreover, when there is a small order it is packed in boxes and delivered on a
motorcycle owned by one of the partners, however, when there are big orders, these are
packaged in crates and delivered by taxi or bus since the factory has customers outside
the state like Choco and Valle.

10. AREQUIPE LOS PINOS IGR – FINAL PROJECT 10
BENEFITS OF THE PRODUCT
Arequipe has a lot of benefits for human health and nutrition. It is a rich source
of many essential body-building nutrients, particularly protein, sugars and fat, Vitamin
A, the B Vitamins and Calcium (Kijac, 2003. p.13).Arequipe is advisable for children
during its growth period, with a daily serving of 30g, athletes and even for adults who
suffer from appetite problems.However, Arequipe more than food, it is a dessert that can
be enjoyed at any time; it provides energy, which is necessary for the activities of the
day. AlthoughArequipe has some advantages and disadvantages, among which we found
its delicious taste, its inexpensive costs and it is easy to prepare, in spite of this the
Arequipe in frequent consumption may increase weight.

11. AREQUIPE LOS PINOS IGR – FINAL PROJECT 11
CONCLUSION
Today, concentrated milk products are valued because they keep for months and
supply milk’s characteristics contribution to the texture and flavor of baked goods and
confectionery, but without milk’s water. The cooking and concentration of lactose and
protein cause some browning, and this gives its characteristic tan color (Kijac, 2003).
This is why, in the making of this project, we recognize to what extend is Arequipe
important to our region. Furthermore, after its manufacturing process not only a healthy
and valuable product is done, but also it had madeand will make possible many other
practices which would not take place if Arequipe was not made, such as milk
consumption, taking advantage of our regional dairy production and many other small
dealings needed in the process. Among many other beneficiaries who make profit thanks
to any local business run using Arequipe.
What is more, we would like to add that making this project was much rewarding
due to all the work we had to do together which consisted basically of observing and
collecting information about proprieties and the manufacturing process, for later
analysis and description. While doing research to know what was most significant on
the whole, and learning how much important are our regional features as well as
Arequipe for us as people. All in all, we enjoyed and gained knowledge in different
scopes in life during the realization of the project; along with experience in teamwork,
self-reliance and communication skills all through the course.

12. AREQUIPE LOS PINOS IGR – FINAL PROJECT 12
REFERENCES
Kijac, M. (2003). The South American Table: The Flavor and Soul of Authentic
Home Cooking from Patagonia to Rio de Janeiro, with 450 Recipes. Boston,
MA: Harvard Common Press.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arequipe
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar