“The market is experiencing ever-increasing demand for lighter, healthier options and a return to more traditional flavours. For this reason we have created a range of vegetable-based sauces which has already been well received by buyers.” This is how Pietro Casella, chairman of Formec Biffi, sums up the company’s future strategy, ever aware of the emerging national and international consumer trends.
In the coming years these will focus increasingly on the health and nutritional benefits, fresh products and the quality of raw ingredients. In light of this Biffi are launching a new vegetarian sauce line, with names like ragù di soia, pesto con tofu and sugo con verdure. “These new 100% vegetarian sauces”, Pietro Casella continues, “represent a valid alternative to traditional products. People often assume going vegetarian means ‘going without’, either in the name of health or the environment. However, Biffi have blown this theory out of the water thanks to the fantastic flavours present in this new range.” The opening of two new production plants in April means the company can now also manufacture fresh vegetarian options. These sites will allow Biffi to increase daily production of fresh products to tens of thousands of units. The resulting forecast for 2014 is a turnover of 85 million. A large part of this will be down to exports, above all to the United States, the European Union and Japan.
“On the subject of fresh products and new technology”, Casella adds, “The basil processing technique we use in the manufacture of our pesto Genovese is definitely worth mentioning. This technique is a result of ongoing research into new production methods in collaboration with Piacenza’s faculty of agriculture. It allows us to forego pasteurisation and completely preserve the fresh basil’s natural flavour resulting in a sauce with a truly exceptional taste.” The company’s success doesn’t just lie in the Biffi brand as they are also an important partner to many Italian retailer, providing store brand products (such as, pasta sauces, pestos and other fresh products, bottled sauces, mayonnaises and other ambient products). This is further exemplified in the widely distributed Gaia product line (mustard, ketchup, patè, condiments, toppings, etc.), which supplies the Ho.Re.Ca and provides 48% of the company’s turnover.
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