UFC is a Philippine food brand owned by
NutriAsia
Nutri-Asia, Inc. (doing business as NutriAsia), formerly Enriton Natural Foods, Inc. and its predecessors Southeast Asia Food, Inc. and UFC Philippines, Inc., is a Philippine privately held multinational food processing company headquartered i ...
. It was first introduced as a
banana ketchup
Banana ketchup, also known as banana sauce (in export markets), is a Philippine fruit ketchup condiment made from banana, sugar, vinegar, and spices. Its natural color is brownish-yellow but it is often dyed red to resemble tomato ketchup. ...
brand in 1969.
History
Banana ketchup
Banana ketchup, also known as banana sauce (in export markets), is a Philippine fruit ketchup condiment made from banana, sugar, vinegar, and spices. Its natural color is brownish-yellow but it is often dyed red to resemble tomato ketchup. ...
was deemed a cheaper alternative than tomato ketchup since bananas were abundant in the Philippines.
Philippine food technologist
Maria Y. Orosa (1893–1945) is credited with inventing the banana ketchup recipe.
Coincidentally, Magdalo V. Francisco came up with his own method of making ketchup using bananas in 1938. Francisco began commercial production of banana ketchup in 1942 under the brand name Mafran, a
portmanteau
In linguistics, a blend—also known as a blend word, lexical blend, or portmanteau—is a word formed by combining the meanings, and parts of the sounds, of two or more words together. derived from the first syllables of his first name and surname. He registered Mafran as a trademark with the
Bureau of Patents in the Philippines.
Years later, Francisco approached Tirso T. Reyes for funding to expand his business. This led to the establishment of the Universal Food Corporation in 1960, whose first President was Jaime Datu Reyes.
[ Francisco soon left the company due to internal conflicts. Francisco established Jufran Food Industries and launched Jufran Banana Catsup. The name Jufran was derived from Francisco's son and namesake, Magdalo "Jun" Francisco Jr.
In 1969, Universal Foods Corporation launched UFC Tamis Anghang Banana Catsup, made from a unique recipe which combines the sweetness preferred by the Filipino palate with a spicy ]aftertaste
Aftertaste is the taste intensity of a food or beverage that is perceived immediately after that food or beverage is removed from the mouth. The aftertastes of different foods and beverages can vary by intensity and over time, but the unifying fea ...
, hence, ''tamis-anghang'' ( Tagalog for sweet-spicy).
In 1974, Universal Foods Corporation was acquired by Bancom Development Corporation.
In 1996, Southeast Asia Food, Inc. (SAFI, now NutriAsia
Nutri-Asia, Inc. (doing business as NutriAsia), formerly Enriton Natural Foods, Inc. and its predecessors Southeast Asia Food, Inc. and UFC Philippines, Inc., is a Philippine privately held multinational food processing company headquartered i ...
) acquired Universal Foods Corporation. SAFI had also acquired the Mafran and Jufran brands.[ SAFI evolved into what is now NutriAsia, Inc.
]
See also
* Banana ketchup
Banana ketchup, also known as banana sauce (in export markets), is a Philippine fruit ketchup condiment made from banana, sugar, vinegar, and spices. Its natural color is brownish-yellow but it is often dyed red to resemble tomato ketchup. ...
References
{{NutriAsia
Food brands of the Philippines
NutriAsia brands
Philippine condiments
Brand name condiments
Ketchup