INTRODUCTION

The Sunpride Foods, Incorporated (SFI) is strategically located in a four-hectare,

industry-compliant and AAA-accredited compound in Paknaan, Mandaue City,
Philippines. SFI is a meat processing industry. Its trademark brands include Shoppers,
Good Morning, Kassel, Sunpride, and Holiday. The company’s major products include
canned goods, flavor mixes, frozen processed meats, and delicatessen (processed cooked
meat).

COMPANY PROFILE
With the slogan “Clean Food, Healthy Life” SFI is committed to a food safety and
quality policy. Sunpride’s meat processing plant and slaughterhouse received several
awards given by the National Meat Inspection Service of the Department of Agriculture,
Republic of the Philippines. SFI meat processing plant won First Place in the Regional
Level Search for the Best Meat Processing Plant, AAA category for the years 2006 to
2009 and moved on as finalist of the same category for the same years in the national
level. The meat processing plant is also Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) certified
since 2004 and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) certified since
2006. On the other hand, its slaughterhouse has been GMP certified since 2004 and
HACCP certified since 2005.

Figure 2: Company Logo of Sunpride Foods, Inc.

Sunpride Foods, Inc. commits to:

 Maintain an effective Food Safety and Quality Management System.
 Conform to statutory, regulatory, and mutually agreed meat safety and quality
requirements.
 Implement and maintain food safety and quality policies.
 Communicate food safety quality policies

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  Conduct slaughtering, fabrication, manufacturing and cold storage operations
in accordance with the Food Safety and Quality Management Systems.
 Ensure that food products preparation is conducted under sanitary conditions.
 Report and investigate system failure occurences.
 Encourage team problem solving at all levels.
 Train employees to competently prepare food products.
 Continually enhance employees’ skills.

COMPANY HISTORY
Sunpride Foods Incorporated was established in September 1971. It started
humbly by making bean vermicelli and banana chips. It expanded its business later on
processing meat products: frozen, canned and even fresh meats. For years, it has
established itself a name in the food processing industry. The current president and
general manager of SFI is Mr. Stephen Castillo.

The facilities of SFI are located in a four-hectare compound along S.E Jaime St.
in Brgy. Paknaan, Mandaue City. SFI facilities include the slaughterhouse, the food
processing plant and the main business office. At present, Sunpride has ten depots
throughout the Philippines which serve as warehouses for their finished products for
easier distribution to markets and major customers in cities such as Butuan, Bacolod,
Cagayan, General Santos, Iloilo, Manila, Ozamis, Tacloban, Zamboanga, and Davao.

NATURE OF BUSINESS AND PRODUCTS

Sunpride Foods, Incorporated, at present, is a fully-integrated meat processor with
operations covering slaughtering and preparation to the production of canned goods,
flavor mixes, frozen processed meats and delicatessen. Also, SFI caters to slaughtering
and blast freezing services to its business partners.

The company’s products include canned goods (such as beef loaf, corned beef,
and luncheon meat) and flavor mixes (such as tocino and barbecue mixes). It also offers

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frozen processed meats (like hotdogs, longaniza, bacon, and sausages) and delicatessen
(such as cooked salami and cooked ham). The products are distributed to different areas
in the Philippines to be sold to supermarkets and groceries.

Figure 3: Sample Products of Sunpride Foods, Inc.

MANUFACTURING PROCESSES
The manufacturing processes are done by the three departments of the SFI
processing plant. They are the meat, canning and spice departments. The meat
department does the meat processing and packing. Meat processing involves all the major
processes and unit operations for canned goods and frozen meat products. Accordingly,
packing involves the slicing, weighing and packing operations. The canning department
is solely dedicated to the canning operations: seaming, retorting, and labeling. Lastly, the
spice department does the preparation of all spices to be used and other dry ingredients.
This department is also responsible for the production of flavor mixes.

The two major manufacturing processes refer to the two major products: the
frozen processed meats and the canned goods. They are the products that have high
demands in the market and are manufactured in bulk.

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 1. Frozen Processed Meats
For the manufacture of frozen processed meats (bacon, hotdogs and sausages),
here are the process steps:
1.1 Meat processing – meat from the storage facilities undergoes different processes
(depending on the meat product to be manufactured). It involves but is not limited to
these substeps (not in order):
a. Size reduction – involves minimizing the size of meat either by grinding,
cutting, or chopping.
b. Salting – is the addition of salt (NaCl). This results in drying of meat and
deactivation of microbial cells.
c. Curing – is the addition of curing agents such as nitrites. This improves the
flavor and appearance of meat. It also prolongs the keeping quality of meat.
d. Mixing
e. Utilization of spices and other additives such as ascorbic acid and sugar.
1.2 Slicing – the meat is sliced (as to ham and bacon) or cut to the desired shapes.
1.3 Weighing – the product is weighed according to standards and product specifications.
1.4 Packing – by use of vacuum packaging material, the finished product is ensured that
air is removed.

2. Canned Goods
For the manufacture of canned goods (such as beef loaf and luncheon meat), these
general steps are done:
2.1 Meat preparation – the meat contents (which have undergone meat processing)
undergoes heat exhaust to remove the air in the headspace. The open can passes
through a steam chamber for a definite period.
2.2 Seaming – involves the closing of the can. It is a critical stage in canning operations.
2.3 Retorting – the can is subjected to high temperature and pressure in a pressure cooker.
Steam cooks the contents inside the can.
2.4 Labeling – after 1 hour of air cooling, the labels are put into place by a machine.

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 The SFI processing plant produces approximately 5,000 tons of canned goods /
year and 8,000 tons of frozen products / year. About 5 types of products are
manufactured every day. This depends on the schedule based on market demand.

Due to the food safety and quality policy of SFI, there is the Quality Assurance
Department and the Research and Development Department. One key feature of the QA
Department is the state-of the-art microbiology laboratory where products undergo
standard tests. The R and D Department has strict access protocols. Its key feature is the
small-scale production area where new products are developed and existing products are
improved.

FLOW CHART OF THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS

Figure 4: Block Flow Chart of the Major Manufacturing Processes at SFI

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MAJOR AND MINOR RAW MATERIALS
The major raw materials are raw meat and spices and other additives. Raw meat is
basically pork and beef. Pork is obtained locally from Matutum Meat Packing
Corporation and the SFI Slaughterhouse. On the other hand, beef is imported from
Australia, New Zealand, or India. The spices are sourced out locally. Other additves,
particularly the powdered mixes, are imported. The minor raw materials include the tin
cans used for canning and other packaging materials.

UTILITIES
Utilities include water, fuel, steam, and electricity. Water is used for the
manufacturing process and also for cleaning-in-plant (CIP) purposes. The fuel used is
bunker oil. It is utilized in steam production. Steam, in turn, is used in the retorting step
in canning. Electricity is used for lighting purposes, mechanical operations (such as
mixing and canning) and for refrigeration. A large portion of electrical energy is utilized
in refrigerating bulk amounts of frozen products. In the blast freezer, temperature could
go as low as -40°C. The refrigerant used in these cold storage facilities is ammonia.

WASTES AND WASTE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES

Wastes are generated in food handling and processing. The wastes produced by
Sunpride Foods, Inc. include wastewater, air pollutant emissions, and solid wastes. SFI
generates large amounts of wastewater. This is treated in the SFI wastewater treatment
plant (WTP) before being discharged to the environment. Specifically, the wastewater
from SFI slaughterhouse has a large organic load due to the blood, flesh particles and
soluble proteins. The processes in the WTP include (but is not limited to) waste
stabilization and aeration. Moreover, air pollutant emissions are produced during the
combustion of bunker oil. Pollution control devices are present. Both wastewater and gas
emissions are monitored regularly by DENR.
Further, solid wastes are produced during plant operations. The wastes are stored
in bins, and are collected by dump trucks. They are then transported to appropriate
disposal sites.

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MY THOUGHTS:
Sunpride Foods, Inc. (SFI) based in Paknaan, Mandaue follows current good
manufacturing practices and safety standards. The quality of plant management in SFI
has resulted in its certification in GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) and HACCP
(Hazards Analysis and Critical Control Points). Its wide array of products includes
frozen processed meat and canned goods. Most popular of which are products under the
Sunpride, Shoppers, and Holiday trademarks. The products are then distributed and
marketed in the different parts of the Philippines.

As a meat processing plant, SFI follows good sanitation which contributes to the
integrity of its products. SFI follows safety protocols. For instance, before the chemical
engineering student toured the plant, they were asked to wear hair protection and oriented
of safety inside the plant. Overall, the knowledge of the meat processing industry
acquired through the plant tour stresses on two points: good manufacturing practices and
research & development. First, good manufacturing practices establish trust on the
product for public consumption. Being GMP and HACCP certified is a proof that the
company is committed not just on the well-being of the consumers but also on the well-
being of its employees. Second, research and development enables innovation in process
design and development of new products. The key for a successful enterprise is having a
niche in the market. Truly, SFI has established a name in producing high-quality, safe,
clean, and affordable meat products.

REFERENCES TO LITERATURE
1. Sunpride Foods, Inc. Company Brochure. Paknaan, Mandaue City, Philippines. (October 27, 2010)
2. Tadle, J. Culinary Arts. Quezon City, Philippines: Phoenix Publishing House, 2003.
3. Austin, G.T. Shreve’s Chemical Process Industries. New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1984.
4. Canned Food Operations. Simplot Australia Pty. Ltd. (October 2006)
www.simplot.com.au/.../Fact-sheet-EDUCATIONAL-RESOURCES-canning.pdf
(accessed December 1, 2010)
5. Heinz, G. and Hautzinger, P. Meat Processing Technology. Bangkok: FAO, 2007.
ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/010/ai407e/ai407e00.pdf
(accessed December 1, 2010)