From Campania in southern Italy all the way to Dubai, passing through the Sial food festival in Paris. Gruppo Lo Conte’s growth strategy for the overseas market relies on the experience gained from Molino Vigevano, which specialises in the preparation of both sweet and savoury flour-based mixes. The brand is intertwined with Italian milling tradition and was acquired by the company in 2011 with the goal of increasing the share of exports, which currently stand at around 5% of total sales. Oro di Macina is the main product which is set to take over the international stage and it is dedicated to pizza chefs, pastry chefs and bakers who are looking for that guarantee of quality. It is a line of flours which have been designed and balanced for specific uses, with the addition of flakes of stone milled wheat germ which are still full of vitality and rich in nutrients. “Thanks to an exclusively patented process involving cold extraction and stone milling, these flours retain the vitality and active ingredients of the wheat germ”, explains Fabrizio Lo Conte, ceo of Molino Vigevano , “thus, unlike competing products, the wheat germ is not toasted by the extraction process, thereby giving us a golden powder which, when added to a selection of our best flours, makes them easier to work with”.
All of this makes the dough more fragrant, tastier and easier to digest, as well as favouring greater water absorption which leads to a better Maillard reaction when baking. The plan for expansion for 2015 forecasts distribution contracts with foreign importers and the participation at two of the most important international food fairs; Sial in Paris, just finished, and Gulfood in Dubai next february. We really believe in the quality of our products and we want to support the promotion of Made in Italy foods abroad”.