Tentay serves quality, safety in every bottle

Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 20:13:00 04/09/2011

 MANILA, Philippines—How can you tell if your patis has the safety and quality you’re looking for? Check the labels and the ingredients.

Tentay Patis, which has been making patis (fish sauce) for more than 60 years, is confident it will make the grade.

Tentay Patis was founded in 1949 by Ruperta Javier, or Aling Tentay, right in her own backyard in Navotas.

Since then, Tentay Patis has become a permanent presence in kitchens and family meals.

“Tentay Patis is guaranteed 100 percent pure and all natural,” says Velia J. Cruz, president of Tentay Food Sauces Inc. and Aling Tentay’s daughter.

She maintains the standards set by her mom and adheres to the same values. “We keep to tradition and make use of mackerel extract and salt only—these are the two ingredients. Nothing else,” she says of the fish essence. The freshest fish and salt are combined thoroughly and fermented for one year.

There are other telltale signs of quality patis. Make sure there are no sediments at the bottom of the bottle, and look for a clear, amber-like color—close to good whiskey or sherry. If the color is too brown or muddy, this could be a low-grade patis that has not been properly fermented. It could also mean that the product has been sitting too long in store shelves.

Tentay Patis believes in using the natural fermentation process to keep the aromatic and full-flavored quality of the condiments consistent. This way, the same clear, amber-colored liquid and savory concoction is in every bottle.

“Quality and safety are always present in the way we do things,” says Cruz.

She shares that the Tentay plant is near the Navotas fish port where Tentay gets the fish.

Tentay Food Sauces Inc. (TFSI) makes use of automated processes under a hygienic work environment to ensure safety.

The freshest catch is always used for the sauce making. The correct temperature during transportation is applied to maintain fish freshness. Containers and plant facilities are cleaned and sanitized prior to use. Most importantly, the fish handlers use the right safety and hygienic equipment when handling the products during the entire process.

Tentay Patis complies with the country’s international food safety standards set by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and with the standards set by export markets such as the US, Canada, Japan, Middle East and Europe.

“Good quality patis requires time and the freshest catch. There are a lot of products in the market now that are not as safe as they claim to be,” warns Cruz.

“When you’re in the food business, you have to ensure the safety of your customers—that is non-negotiable. With Tentay Patis, we don’t try—we make sure that from the start of the fermentation process all the way to bottling, we get the process right,” says Cruz.