(Nomination for 2013 AUREA Award): Foodland - Organic food factory

The Foodland company opened a new healthy food factory worth EUR 3.5 million in Igros near Brus in late October 2012.

With the construction of a new factory, the entire production process is now carried out at one place. Thanks to the long-time experience of technologists, the production process is also innovated to satisfy the needs of increasingly demanding consumers worldwide.

The annual fruit and vegetable processing capacity grew from 2,800 to 6,100 tonnes with the construction of the new factory, and the plan is to boost that capacity to 10,000 tonnes in the near future.

Foodland is the largest manufacturer of healthy and organic food in Serbia: ajvar, marmalades, jams, juices. At this factory, food is prepared according to traditional recipes using domestic ingredients picked and prepared by hand and mainly supplied from the ecologically clean region of Kopaonik and nearby areas Vlasina and Golija.

The company purchases over 50 different fruits and vegetables and works with more than 500 collaborators from the area at the foot of Mount Kopaonik.

The new factory has 90 permanent employees, while local population from underdeveloped municipalities accounts for most of the manpower. This healthy food production facility will also hire about 200 seasonal workers every year.

And while the market share of organic food in Serbia is as low as 0.3 percent, this food is in increasing demand across the world. Foodland exports products to more than 25 countries, with its exports growing 65 percent annually in the last three years.

Healthy basis of production and commitment to quality will make Foodland’s products competitive in the global market, and this company plans to plant its first organic plants in 2014.

This year Foodland plans to develop its own retail network.

INNOVATION

Foodland’s new factory for producing healthy food, built in Igros at the foot of Mount Kopaonik, is the place where the entire production process, from raw material input to final product manufacture, is carried out. The factory features machines designed by the company experts and adapted to fit the company needs, given that no such factory ever existed before. Thus, for example, Foodland has the largest tunnel for roasting bell peppers in Serbia.

When it comes to the production of healthy and organic food, the company insists on top quality, so it also strived to innovate the production process at the new factory in order to improve the quality of products. What also contributed to this is the long-time experience of technologists working at the company.

At this factory, food is prepared according to traditional recipes using domestic ingredients picked and prepared by hand and mainly supplied from the ecologically clean region of Kopaonik and nearby areas Vlasina and Golija.

In order to ensure that only the best raw materials are picked and to avoid them mixing with other crops, the company has acquired its own cold storage plants to control raw materials from their input to the final product.

Aside from good raw materials, what is also necessary to maintain the quality and nutritional values of fruits and vegetables is to process food in a special way. Certain products are prepared on traditional wood-burning stoves called Smederevac, and the company has a total of 12 such stoves at the factory, while others are processed at low temperatures to preserve the quality and nutritional value of fruits. They are cooked at 40-45 degrees Centigrade by lowering the pressure in the pot – vacuum cooker. When the pressure in the pot is lower than the atmospheric pressure, there is no oxidation and all volatile components and vitamins of the fruit are preserved.

The new facility spanning 5,000 square meters is built on a 3-hectare area, and the annual fruit and vegetable processing capacity grew from 2,800 to 6,100 tonnes with its construction, whereas the plan for the near future is to boost that capacity to 10,000 tonnes.

Foodland’s portfolio includes healthy and organic food products, and its plan for 2014 is to plant its first organic plants in order to enhance the quality of products.

SOCIAL UTILITY

Foodland traditionally invests in local community – the company buys most of the fruits and vegetables from its collaborators in the Kopaonik region and nearby areas Vlasina and Golija in order to encourage production of raw materials in underdeveloped areas.

Also, local population accounts for most of the manpower. The new factory has 90 permanent employees, mainly womens who find it harder to get a job. Every year, The company will also hire about 200 seasonal workers from Brus and its surroundings every year, while it already works with over 500 collaborators from the area at the foot of Mount Kopaonik.

All works on the factory were carried out by domestic companies in line with the highest environmental, environment protection and industrial safety standards, and the factory should also soon feature a new environment-friendly plant powered by biowaste.

The company has also financed the construction of infrastructure in the underdeveloped area at the foot of Mount Kopaonik – new roads, power supply infrastructure and a long-distance power line, signal amplifiers for cell phones, etc.

Food produced at the factory of the Foodland company is based on healthy basis and organic production of fruits and vegetables. All products are completely natural and contain no preservatives, artificial dyes and aromas, and the company also plans to plant its first organic plants next year.

Foodland, as an economic development leader in the region, is also a sponsor of the football club Brus.

FINANCIAL POTENTIAL

Foodland today exports products to over 25 countries, including all ex-Yugoslav countries, Russia, Sweden, the Netherlands, Germany, France, Austria, Great Britain, Hungary, Japan, Australia, the USA and Canada. The annual export growth rate in the last three years is 65 percent, and one of the reasons why the company built a new factory was its inability to satisfy the needs of all these markets.

The annual fruit and vegetable processing capacity grew from 2,800 to 6,100 tonnes with the construction of the new factory, and the plan is to boost that capacity to 10,000 tonnes in the near future.

And while the market share of organic food in Serbia is as low as 0.3 percent, this food is in increasing demand across the world. Healthy basis of production and commitment to quality will make Foodland’s products competitive in the global market.

Foodland’s portfolio includes healthy and organic food products, and the company has also implemented the BRC, HCAPP, ISO 9000 standards.

The main brand, Bakina Tajna (Grandma’s Secret), which was launched in 2003, includes a range of products made according to the traditional recipes of Serbian housewives.

Foodland first came to the spotlight in 2008 by winning an award for the world’s best juice at the trade fair in Barcelona. Its redesigned packaging for the Bakina Tajna brand won the prestigious WorldStar award this year as the best packaging in the world.

This year Foodland plans to develop its own retail network.

If the new organic food factory of the Foodland company is your favorite for the investment of the year, you can vote for this candidate at the official website - Aurea.