In short
Wholesale smallgoods are processed meat products such as ham, bacon, salami, cooked meats, sausages and frankfurts, bought in bulk by delis, cafés, caterers, foodservice and retailers. Because many smallgoods are ready to eat, buyers need to check shelf life, storage requirements and the supplier’s food safety controls as carefully as the product itself. Protein Link lists smallgoods from verified suppliers with structured specifications and one clear buyer price, ex GST.
What counts as smallgoods
In the Australian trade, smallgoods are meat products that have been cured, smoked, cooked, fermented or otherwise processed. Some are ready to eat (ham, salami, cooked chicken, pastrami); others still need cooking (raw sausages, some bacon). The difference matters for storage, shelf life and food safety.
Common wholesale smallgoods formats
- Ham: leg ham, shoulder ham, champagne and pressed hams, whole or sliced.
- Bacon: middle, short-cut and streaky, sliced or in slabs.
- Fermented and dry-cured products: salami, pepperoni, prosciutto.
- Cooked meats: roast beef, pastrami, cooked chicken and turkey.
- Sausages, frankfurts, kabana and other processed lines.
- Further-processed and value-added products: crumbed, marinated or formed items.
Who buys wholesale smallgoods
Delis, cafés and sandwich bars buy sliced and whole ham, cooked meats and salami. Caterers, clubs and institutional kitchens buy bacon, sausages and frankfurts in volume. Pizza and food manufacturers buy pepperoni, ham and diced products as ingredients. See restaurants and hospitality and food manufacturers.
Ready-to-eat food safety
Ready-to-eat smallgoods are not cooked again before they are eaten, so the controls that the manufacturer applies, such as cooking, curing, fermentation and hygiene, are the protection. Listeria is a particular concern for ready-to-eat meats kept chilled.
Before buying, check that the supplier holds the licence or accreditation their state food regulator requires for smallgoods manufacture, and that labels show use-by or best-before dates and storage directions. Our food safety guide has a checklist.
Storage, shelf life and packaging
Most smallgoods are chilled and sold vacuum packed or in modified-atmosphere packs, with shelf life shortening once a pack is opened. Some lines, including many raw sausages and bulk bacon, are also traded frozen. Each listing states its storage state and pack format, such as whole logs, sliced packs or bulk cartons.
Chilled smallgoods are potentially hazardous food and must be kept at 5°C or below under Standard 3.2.2 of the Food Standards Code.
What to specify when buying smallgoods
- Product, recipe or grade, and whether it is ready to eat.
- Format: whole, sliced, diced or portioned, and slice thickness if relevant.
- Pack type, pack size and carton net weight.
- Storage state, and use-by or best-before date on arrival.
- Ingredient and allergen information for your own labelling.
- Meat content and origin, if your customers or labels require it.
How smallgoods trade on Protein Link
Smallgoods manufacturers can list surplus and regular lines; see selling excess stock.
- Verified suppliers publish structured listings: product, specification, storage state, pack format, available volume and one buyer price per kilogram, ex GST.
- Supplier base pricing is never shown to buyers. Buyers only see the platform price.
- Approved buyers submit an order request against a listing, and the supplier accepts it.
- Freight is quoted for that shipment and confirmed before the buyer pays.
- Payment runs through the platform, processed by Stripe.
- Buyer and supplier identities stay protected until the order reaches fulfilment.
Frequently asked questions
Are smallgoods sold chilled or frozen?
Most ready-to-eat smallgoods are sold chilled. Some products, such as raw sausages and bulk bacon, are also available frozen. The listing states the storage state.
What should I check before buying ready-to-eat smallgoods?
Check the supplier’s licensing with their state food regulator, the use-by or best-before date, storage directions, and ingredient and allergen information for your own labelling.
Can I buy sliced ham in bulk?
Where a supplier lists it, yes. Listings state the format (whole, sliced or diced), pack size and carton weight.
Who is responsible for smallgoods quality?
The supplier. Protein Link is a marketplace facilitator; suppliers remain responsible for product quality, labelling and their food safety program.
Trade wholesale protein on better terms
Request access as a buyer or a supplier. Every business is reviewed before trading, and verification is free.