NegoSHIO Series: Starting a Frozen Food Business

Frozen food has a special place in Filipino households because it’s convenient, affordable, and an easy to cook ulam option. There are numerous frozen food products available in the market, like frozen peas, pizza, sausages, fries, nuggets and such – name it, it probably has a frozen version. If you want to supplement your revenue or gain financial freedom, you might want to consider starting a frozen food business.

A frozen food business is not capital intensive and it can be managed even when you’re just at home. However, one must remember the precautions and safety rules in food processing to make sure that the products you are selling are safe to eat.

In the Philippines, one of the most popular processed meat products that we consume is longganisa. Don’t you just love to pair a freshly cooked longganisa with fried rice and egg for breakfast? This easy favourite breakfast dish will surely power you in the morning.

Most longganisa are usually made with pork, however, there are two ways to classify it – hamonado (sweet) or de recado (garlicky). Although longganisa traces its roots in Spain, some regions in the Philippines have their own interpretation of this sausage Named after the town they originated from, Pampanga longganisa is one of the most widely known variant since it can be easily purchased in the local markets or supermarkets. Another popular variant is Lucban longganisa which is known for its garlicky and sour taste as well as its use of oregano. Other variants include Vigan longganisa from the Ilocos Region, Alaminos longganisa from Pangasinan, Cabanatuan longganisa or batutay from Nueva Ecija and etc.

You can find your inspiration for making longganisa as one of your products for your frozen food business with these numerous choices. In making your own longganisa, make sure that you select a good quality meat. It is also best to wrap it wax paper and chill it for hours. Before cooking, it is recommended to boil the longganisa in water since this allows the extraction of the natural fat of the meat.

To get you started, check this longganisa recipe which used Aji-Shio® Garlic Seasoning Mix to make that garlicky taste. You can make 10 packs of longganisa for just ₱214. The cost of one pack which has six pieces of longganisa is only ₱29 but you can sell it for as much as ₱50 , giving you a profit of ₱21 per pack ( recipe cost as of November 2019).

If you are the only one who’s selling this easy to cook ulam in your community, then you can still increase the price. However, if you have competitions you have to lower the price for at least 1-5% maximum.

Watch the girls of The Soshal Network show us how to make a longganisa perfect for your frozen food business:

Reference

Bureau of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Development (BMSMED). (2009, July). Retrieved from http://invest.cfo.gov.ph/pdf/part3/BSMMED/SAB-native-longanisa-09.pdf