You may consign your product with dealers, canteen operators, caterers and grocery stores.

Materials needed:

You may buy your meat from the wet market, meat shop or supermarket, but make sure you get it from someone who sells only fresh meat and observes proper hygiene and sanitation. The loin part of the pig is perfect for making tocino. Start with 30 kilograms of meat initially and buy mixing ingredients in small packs selling at P25 to P40.

Curing salt

Phosphate

Vitamin C

Meat tenderizer

Garlic powder

Food coloring

Binder

Filler blend

It’s up to you to decide whether or not to use artificial coloring and extenders like textured vegetable protein, isolate, carageenan, and qualicel to increase your yield and your margin.

You will also need:

Measuring spoons and cups

Kitchen weighing scales

Mixing bowls (preferably stainless steel)

Spatula

Funnel

Earmark about P2,000 for utensils and equipment, about P800 for a poly sealer, and enough money for polyethylene plastic bags (P0.35 each).

If you want a separate refrigerator or freezer for storing processed meat, be ready to invest more money and observe a first in, first out policy.

Getting started:

1. Some entrepreneurs prefer using lactic acid to wash the meat before processing “to preserve its water-holding capacity and kill off bacteria,” says Lourdes Rivera, a lecturer on meat processing at the
Ultima Entrepinoy Forum Center in Quezon City and the author of a book on the same subject. “Instead of washing with water, wipe the meat with cloth and rinse with lactic acid.”

2. Chill the meat at 4 degrees Celsius at least an hour before processing.

3. Slice it before curing it with salt, phosphate, vitamin C, and chilled water. Mix the extenders and seasoning and add them to the meat. You may also add spices like pepper, onions, garlic, paprika, ginger, laurel and oregano as well as anisado wine, monosodium glutamate, soy sauce, and hydrolyzed vegetable protein to
enhance the meat’s flavor.

4. Cure the meat at room temperature or refrigerate it for eight to 12 hours before packing it in polyethylene bags (half a kilogram for each bag). Finally, store the meat in the freezer where it will keep up to three months.