A frozen food plan depends on one choice: will you make or repack the food yourself, or resell sealed products bought from a registered maker? Making, repacking or distributing processed food needs an FDA License to Operate, and each prepackaged product needs FDA registration. Delivery vehicles for perishables need refrigeration. This sample shows the costs and leaves sales blank.[3,5,4]
Executive summary
Example: [Business name] will make and pack [longganisa, tocino, siomai, embutido] in a [rented food-grade kitchen] in [city] and sell them frozen to [sari-sari stores, resellers, online buyers] within [distance]. Owner: [name], sole proprietor. Products: [number] at launch, each with its own label and FDA registration.
Capital needed: ₱____ for freezers, a vacuum sealer, a grinder, kitchen fit-out, a refrigerated delivery set-up, FDA fees and opening ingredients. Owner ₱____; loan ₱____.
Make, repack or resell: the decision that sets your permits
FDA requires a License to Operate before a covered food establishment manufactures, imports, distributes or sells processed food. Processed food products must also be registered with FDA, through a Certificate of Product Registration, before they are distributed, sold or offered for sale.[3,4]
Write your choice in the plan: [we manufacture and pack under our own brand] or [we resell sealed products made by registered manufacturers]. If you resell only, keep copies of your suppliers' FDA documents and ask FDA whether your own distribution needs an LTO. If you make or repack, the LTO and a CPR per product are start-up costs.
Buyers and competitors
Fill in: Resellers and stores we asked: [number]; [number] said they would stock [products] if delivered every [period] with a freezer-safe pack. Online buyers: [your page or group size], with [number] pre-orders from a trial batch on [date].
Competitors: [brands in local groceries, other home-based sellers]. For each, product, pack size and price by your visit or screenshot on [date]. Your angle: [regional recipe, smaller packs, delivery to stores].
Production and the cold chain
Production. Buy meat from [supplier] with [accreditation documents], prepare, pack, label, blast or deep freeze, store at [temperature]. Batch record for each production day: date, quantity, lot number.
Delivery. Vehicles carrying readily perishable food must be provided with refrigeration equipment. Price a refrigerated van, a vehicle with a freezer unit, or a delivery partner who has one.[5]
People. Every employee of a food establishment needs a health certificate from the local health authority. Your kitchen also needs a sanitary permit from the city or municipal health office, with the fee set by ordinance.[6,5]
Permits and registration costs
You need the License to Operate and a product registration for each prepackaged product. FDA Advisory 2025-0032 says fees for applications filed from 12 January 2025 follow AO 2024-0016, so ask FDA for your amount. Ask FDA which category your products fall under.[3,4]
Financial plan
Start-up. Chest or upright freezers [number] × ₱____; vacuum sealer ₱____; grinder and mixer ₱____; kitchen fit-out ₱____; refrigerated delivery set-up ₱____; label design and printing ₱____; FDA LTO ₱____; CPR ₱____ × [number] products (ask FDA; AO 2024-0016 schedule); DTI name ₱500 plus ₱30 stamp tax; barangay clearance ₱____; mayor's permit ₱____; sanitary permit ₱____; reserve ₱____.[3,1,4]
Monthly. Meat and ingredients ₱____ per kg × kg; packaging ₱____; power ₱____ (freezers run all day); delivery fuel ₱____; wages ₱____; kitchen rent ₱____.
Sales. Packs per month [number] × price to reseller ₱____. Cost per pack = ingredients + packaging + labour ÷ packs. Break-even packs = fixed costs ÷ (price − cost per pack).
Risks
Power outage. Generator or an arrangement with a cold storage provider; do not refreeze thawed product. Selling before FDA registration. Budget the time and fees before launch. Store returns. Clear terms on expiry and damaged packs.
Permit and registration costs: frozen food
| Registration or permit | Office | Fee | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| DTI business name (sole proprietor) | DTI | ₱200–₱2,000 by scope, city or regional scope depending on delivery area | DTI BNRS FAQ |
| Documentary stamp tax on DTI fee | DTI | ₱30 | DTI BNRS FAQ |
| Barangay business clearance | Barangay hall | Set by the barangay | Ask the barangay |
| Mayor's permit and city fees | City or municipal hall | Assessed by the city | Ask the BPLO |
| BIR registration (Annual Registration Fee) | BIR | ₱0, not collected since 22 Jan 2024 | BIR RMC 14-2024 |
| FDA License to Operate (if you make, repack or distribute) | FDA | Set by FDA under AO 2024-0016; ask FDA | FDA Advisory 2025-0032 |
| FDA product registration (CPR), each prepackaged product | FDA | Set by FDA under AO 2024-0016; ask FDA | FDA Advisory 2025-0032 |
| Sanitary permit | City or municipal health office | Set by city ordinance | PD 856 food IRR |
| Health certificates, all food handlers | City or municipal health office | Set by the LGU | PD 856 |
| Refrigerated delivery vehicle | Your own cost | Quote: ₱____ | PD 856 food IRR |
Questions people ask
- Do I need an FDA license to sell frozen food?
- If you manufacture, repack or distribute processed food, FDA requires a License to Operate, and each prepackaged product needs a Certificate of Product Registration. If you only resell, ask FDA about your case.
- How much is FDA product registration?
- FDA sets it. FDA Advisory 2025-0032 says fees for applications filed from 12 January 2025 follow AO 2024-0016, so ask FDA for your amount.
- Can I deliver frozen food on a motorcycle?
- Vehicles carrying readily perishable food must have refrigeration equipment. Ask your health office what it accepts for small deliveries.
Sources
Checked 14 November 2026. We link the agency's own page for every requirement. Rules change; confirm with the office before you pay.
- Frequently Asked Questions · DTI Business Name Registration System
- Digest of Revenue Memorandum Circular No. 14-2024 · Bureau of Internal Revenue · 24 January 2024
- Administrative Order No. 2014-0029: Rules and Regulations on the Licensing of Food Establishments and Registration of Processed Food, and Other Food Products · Department of Health / FDA (text via FAO FAOLEX) · 8 September 2014
- FDA Advisory No. 2025-0032: Effectivity of Administrative Order No. 2024-0016 (New Schedule of Fees and Charges of the FDA) · Food and Drug Administration Philippines · January 2025
- Implementing Rules and Regulations of Chapter III, Food Establishments, of P.D. No. 856 · Department of Health (text via Supreme Court E-Library) · 29 December 1995
- Presidential Decree No. 856 (Code on Sanitation of the Philippines) · Lawphil (text of PD 856) · 23 December 1975