Sardines: Poor man’s staple no more
Canned fish’s main competitor is instant noodles
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 00:34:00 03/30/2008
Filed Under: Food
MANILA, Philippines—Chattrade Enterprises, the local manufacturer of Saba canned seafoods and exclusive distributor of American brand, Rose Bowl, is venturing into the frozen seafoods business supplying major supermarkets with high-end seafood products.
Filipino-owned Chattrade has been operating as a commodity wholesaler and distributor of Rose Bowl since 1972 but has evolved into a dynamic and customer-driven organization.
Chattrade president Ben Sy says its diversification into the frozen seafoods business is intended to address a growing market which is only being partially met by a few seafoods importers and a handful of local seafoods integrators who buy from local fishermen.
Chattrade has been supplying the local supermarkets and groceries with gutted salmon and choice cuts of belly, steak cuts and fillets and calamari steaks, squid fingers, scallops and other high-end fishery products that have high local demand.
It currently supplies SM, Robinsons, Cherry Foodarama, Cash & Carry, Unimart, Landmark, Hi Top, South Supermarket and Parco. In the provinces, Chattrade also supplies Regions 1, 3, 4 and Western Visayas including Bacolod.
Chattrade’s target markets are the mid-nesters 30 to 40 years old for the Saba brand and the full nesters 45 up for its Rose Bowl brand.
Chattrade has launched a massive education campaign—going to schools and other populous centers—informing the mothers and children of the nutritional value of canned sardines and fishery products as against the more popular instant noodles, a favorite dish among the poor because of its low price of P5 a pack.
Sy says though sardines had long been perceived as a “poor man’s fare” it is hardly so in reality since the lower markets of C, D and E would rather spend P5 for a pack of noodles than P10 or more for a small tin can of sardines.
Sy says sardine manufacturers like him are hard-pressed vying for a share of the noodles market because of its low price, yet “we cannot reduce our selling price since our cost of production is so high with tin, energy, wages and raw materials cost rising constantly.”
A can of sardines is rich in Omega 3 for healthy heart, a slow progression of Alzheimer’s disease and the fatty acids help control blood sugar levels. In addition, a can of sardines contains vitamins A, D, E, K, calcium and B complex including B12. Rose Bowl (being imported and pricey is naturally for the higher income groups) has olive oil that reduces bad cholesterol, prevents aging and promotes life expectancy.
Chattrade has tapped Joan Sumpio—a registered nutritionist-dietician of UST, a visiting nutrition consultant of Metropolitan Medical Center, a fellow of the Philippine Nutrition Association—to push Chattrade’s advocacy. Sumpio says she pushes sardines for these health benefits among her patients and in her school lectures and feeding programs. She conducts nationwide blood screening (with already 10,000 participants) where she advises those with high blood sugar levels and arthritis and Alzheimer’s to eat sardines at least four times a week.
Sardines or pilchards are a group of several types of small oily fish related to the herring family clupeidai, named after the island of Sardinia, where they were once in abundance. Though terms to describe sardines vary by region, the generalization is that if the fish is below 4 inches long (10 cm) it is classed as sardines and if larger than 4 inches, it is classed as pilchard.
Canned sardines in the supermarkets may actually be sprats of brisling sardines or round herrings and their actual sizes vary by species. Good quality sardines should have their heads and tails removed before packing.
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