Together is better in the pasta business. Rummo Group is one of the top five pasta manufacturers in Italy with a turnover of over 100 million euros per year, and the Andriani Group is the number one gluten-free pasta manufacturer (current annual turnover 40 million euros). With the aim of achieving greater international success, the two companies recently announced their intention to work together on a new gluten free pasta range.
The new company, with headquarter in Novara, will be called Dietetic Ra and will be joint-owned 50% by Rummo and 50% by Andriani. Dietetic Ra will be managed by Francesco Andriani, ceo and Antonio Rummo, chairman. The plan is to start production right away in 2014 at the site in Castiglioni di Sozzago (No), which enjoys a healthy proximity to key raw material suppliers. Ultimately, the production site at Sozzago will be entirely dedicated to the production of gluten-free foods. In order to achieve this, Rummo Group will concentrate production of its Durham wheat pasta at its factory in Benevento, including that under the Castiglioni brand. Similarly, Andriani will also continue to manufacture its own gluten-free pasta brands in Gravina di Puglia (Ba). The initiative is commercially strategic as it combines the international trade capacity of Rummo and the gluten-free production expertise of Molino Andriani. The end goal is to bring to market an exciting new product, internationally competitive in terms of appeal, quality and innovation.
The Sozzago plant will also manufacture a range of protein and gluten-free pasta and a number of other low-calorie pastas. The demand for gluten-free foods continues to grow and Dietetic Ra’s offering will provide a more comprehensive range of gluten-free pastas to retailers. The hope is this will give a greater level of choice and satisfaction to consumers who are following a gluten-free diet and those who simply wish to eat more healthily.