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Banana chips (Philippines)
Z-Corcuerra Food Products

Product: Banana Chips with Honey

Country: Philippines, Los Baños, Laguna
At residence.
Telephone: 0920-857-6585
Contact: Mrs. Zeny Corcuerra, Owner-Operator

Clients: Households, restaurants, Duty Free and supermarket

 Strengths and weaknesses

How was the business started?

The business started in 1992 with peanuts and garlic as the main product. Early in 2005 banana chips with honey was added to the line of products. This happened when a friend encouraged the owner to prepare banana chips which later became a favourite “gift” to relatives who live abroad. The technology of chip preparation was basically patterned from the peanuts they are already cooking. Actually, it was the husband who did a trial and error cooking that resulted in the additional and acceptable product. It was marketed in the neighbourhood and by word of mouth the sale increased.
The business is managed by the owner-operator from sourcing of the raw materials, processing and packaging to marketing. Four people are involved in the process. No formal book of accounts is maintained.

Steps in the product preparation


After receiving the fruits, which come from a nearby town (Bitin), fruits are defingered, washed in basin and peeled manually.

Slicing is done using a very simple slicer available in supermarkets. It is made of hard plastic with adjustable stainless blade.

 
In less than a minute, a single fruit could be sliced.
 
Operations like washing, peeling and slicing are done outside the roofed area.

A newly acquired slicer fabricated locally was purchased recently at P31,000.
However, the adjustment of the blade is quite problematic.

Frying is done in a large pan. Single fried bananas are stored in covered plastic containers where they could be stored for a month or two.

When there are orders, the stored chips are dipped in syrup and fried in gas-fueled big pans for the second time.


Fried chips are removed from the pan by the use of a chicken wire with long bamboo handle.
 
Excess oil is further eliminated by placing the chips on a strainer made of galvanized screen with wooden frames.
 
Cooking oil is recycled and so the oil is not wasted. Peel waste is disposed through the garbage collector in the community.
After cooling, the fried chips are then packed and sealed either in polypropylene bags, microwavable containers (135gms or 200gms) or aluminum pouches. Labeling is also done in plastic containers.
Product quality testing is done by the wife. Z-corcuera Food Products processes 2,000 Saba fingers per week
It takes six hours to process 1,000 fingers from peeling up to second frying.

Marketing

Raw materials are sourced from a nearby town in Los Baños. This is done by just calling the producer through the phone and the fruits are picked up after harvest.

Chips are sold to the residents of Los Baños, Laguna, Duty Free Philippines at the airport, restaurants along Laguna roads and some food processors who puts their own brand., Balikbayan (outlet at Duty Free Philippines). The owner has just recently negotiated with Shoemart Inc., a very big supermarket chain. Distribution of banana chips to Manila is not a problem since the family owns a rent-a-car business where delivery could ride on a trip.