KLBD in Spain and Portugal – Part 2

As the tourist industry in Spain and Portugal commences its busiest season, the culture, delicious food and historical heritage of these lively Mediterranean countries parallel their food and beverage industries’ upward trajectory in quality and variety. The warmth of the climate in both countries is only matched by their hospitality and the Portuguese ritual of sharing meals is just one example of the generous welcome extended to family and friends.

The food and drink sector in Spain is currently ranked as the number one industrial sector nationally and is a major contributor to the success of the Spanish economy as a whole.  Outside the home market, Spain boasts the fourth largest food and drink sector in Europe and the eighth worldwide. The Spanish Federation of Food and Beverage Industries (FIAB) has called for government measures to promote the competitiveness and efficiency of this highly valued sector.

To promote healthier eating, the Spanish Health Ministry has partnered with more than 500 food and beverage companies to reduce salt, sugar and fat levels in more than 3,500 products by 2020.  It is said that catering companies will be expected to improve the quality of school meals and hospital cafeterias, with the use of processed and fried products reduced and their being replaced with fish, vegetables and fresh fruit.

Spain’s neighbour on the Iberian Peninsula, Portugal, is equally committed to encouraging healthy eating regimes for its population and as a key producer of olive oil, advocates good quality Extra Virgin olive oil for its cardiovascular benefits, anti-inflammatory properties and general digestive health.  The Mediterranean diet as embraced by both countries is globally acknowledged as the gold standard for traditional healthy living: being generally high in vegetables, fruits, nuts, cereals and unsaturated fats such as olive oil.

In Spain and Portugal alike, many highly respected manufacturers of innovative food products proudly display the KLBD logo as a sign of quality and adherence to the highest standards of manufacturing control. One such company is Dallant, which has been trading for over six decades at its manufacturing base in Sant Feliu De Llobregat.  Dallant has established an international reputation for the unique flavourings and ingredients it applies to a varied product range exported throughout the world.

Another KLBD certified company situated in Barcelona is Productos Aditivos. Founded in 1929 as a producer of food and pharmaceutical additives, today it has evolved into the sole European producer of saccharin and cyclamate. It is now the preferred partner for a large number of companies in the premium quality food market and for pharmaceutical industries in more than sixty countries. KLBD certified company Luque Organic  based in Castro del Rio specialises in the production of award winning extra virgin olive oil – cultivated and carefully harvested on small family run farms.

Bioterra – Productores de Frutos Secos Españoles, S.L. is a Spanish based agricultural processing company, whose mission statement contends that almond tree farming performs an important role in the landscape, balance of land usage, soil quality and nature conservation. With its emphasis on the traceability of all products and quality control, Bioterra is unsurprisingly KLBD certified and specialises in almond based products and derivatives, including organic whole almond with milk chocolate and cinnamon in its exciting gourmet range of confectionery. KLBD certified Conservas DANI S.A.U.  products include a wide range of dried herbs, berries and fruits spices, pulses, nuts, rice and millet. Founded in 1946 it trades from warehousing in Vilassar de Mar, a suburb of Barcelona.

KLBD certified CAPSA Food (Corporación Alimentaria Peñasanta S.A.) manufactures under the Innova Food Ingredients brand offering an extensive range of dairy based ingredients for the food industry. They work with more than 2,000 dairy farmers which provide high quality powdered milk, butter, cream and other dairy-based products as ingredients for other foods.  Arofa S.L. is also KLBD certified and has been successfully trading red berries since 1992.  Their produce includes strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and chestnuts. The company is regarded by the largest retailers in Europe as a leader in quality and service.

The Portuguese subsidiary of the global conglomerate Nestle is KLBD certified for some products. It recently announced a five-million Euro expansion project at its distribution centre in Avanca, which ships 80% of the products that Nestle Portugal manufactures, many of which are sold outside the Iberian Peninsula.

Meanwhile, recently released statistics indicate that the number of Spanish citizens has been lessening since 2012 and the population is predicted to decline a further 12% by 2064. This has prompted the Managing Director of the Department for the Food Industry in Spain (MAPAMA based in Madrid), Fernando Jose Burgaz Moreno, to contend that “The obvious option for the Spanish food industry is to increase exports’. He went on to say that this aspiration is already being achieved – with Spanish food and wine exports having increased by almost 50% since 2011 to compensate for the projected decline in the size of the domestic market.

Jose Miguel Flavian Erlac, FMCG Consultant at GM & Co agrees that there is a new focus on exports; ‘the shrinking population is one reason.  But with excess capacity companies need to ensure products are produced at an efficient cost.  The simple solution is to sell more product’.  As for more kosher products he comments ‘this is an opportunity’.