JOAX: Frozen food is hot stuff

JOAX’s best-selling frozen/chilled products JOAX Ingredients & Food Development Corporation has been manufacturing frozen processed foods, spice blends, seasonings, food chemicals, as well as flavoured drinks, for years. Its founder, Jose Dante S. Morados carries with him a wealth of expertise that he has poured into the Philippines-based company. In this exclusive interview, he talks about the frozen/chilled frozen foods business.

How did you get started in thefrozen/chilled food business?

I was one of the pioneers in setting up the food ingredients blending operations of Griffith Laboratories Philippines in 1977. I thought that 21 years of experience in food ingredients’ mixes would aid a lot in coming up with innovative recipes. I then shifted my focus from spices, chemicals and ingredients blends to consumer fnished products. In 1998, JANSSEN Foods Corporation came about which in 2007, was changed to JOAX Ingredients & Food Development Corp.

The firm introduced “rightly-priced quality products” which are the result of using the right ingredients and the correct technological sequence and time of adding each ingredient into the product being processed, to come up with desired aroma, taste, presentation and marketing viability. Aside from producing a meat line using imported raw materials, my experience in food-grade chemical blending opened new avenues that the cures, phosphate binders, preservatives and seasoning mixes we use in production are manufactured by us as well.

What are the common areas for innovation in this segment?

First is appearance. This is either as a standalone product or plated with some other “beautifiers”. It is the factor that makes probable clients take a second look. After you have gotten the interest of clients, this look must be complemented by rightful taste…flavour roundedness. Roundness of favour demands proper and just right usage of ingredients plus technological sequence of preparation to give you harmony of end-flavour. You also need to have product consistency, where your strictness to adhere to high quality standards during production and preparation is manifested.

Are there new technologies used for optimal production?

Basically, almost all of our frozen processed meat lines are cured, meaning they must undergo a curing process either dry or through brine by sodium nitrite. Meat are stored in corresponding raw meat freezers (still in their original carton packaging) until withdrawn for further processing. This process preserves state of received meat. During processing, the meats are un-packed and thawed lightly in curing water so meat preservation starts while thawing.

JOAX is known for its many products, but which ones are absolute best-sellers?

Our current offerings are dim sum, fnger foods, frozen processed meat and an rray of sauces, gravies, dips, marinades, batters, breading, rubs and customised one-serving recipes. For the processed meat line our bestsellers are different types of dim sum and dumpling, including Japanese gyoza, honey-cured pork loin ham and bacon, honey-cured U.S. cattle burger patties, corned beef chunks and shreds, Philippine sausages like Vigan longaniza (a garlicky sausage), Hamonado longaniza (ham-flavoured sausage) and Beef-Tutey (beef sausage).

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