The year 2020 will surely go down in history as the year of the pandemic, the year that disrupted our habits of living and thinking, the year that most of all made us stop and think about processes, trust and everyday choices, starting with food. The purchase of vegetable proteins has grown by 49% in just two years in Europe, and projections speak of a weighted average annual increase of over 8% between 2020 and 2025. Attention to the provenance and production processes of the food we consume affects the entire supply chain, which is why at AromataGroup we are constantly striving to ensure the quality and safety of our plants, as well as the sustainability of our production.
As part of our commitment to ensure quality, safety, provenance and sustainability of processes and raw materials, we have started procedures to obtain Fairtrade ethical certification for our vanilla extract. “Choosing to certify your product with the Faitrade Ethical Certification Mark,” comments Francesca Rondinella, QA Manager at AromataGroup, “means choosing to positively impact the livelihoods and quality of life of millions of small farmers and workers in developing countries, sourcing from sustainable supply chains and demonstrating to your customers your responsible choices.”
The annual report published on 8 June by Fairtrade Italia underlines how, despite or perhaps because of the pandemic, the market for products containing at least one Fairtrade ingredient is worth 436 million euros in 2020 (certified products are cocoa, coffee, sugar, cereals and bars, biscuits, dried fruit), which has led to a 24% increase in the premium paid to farmers’ and workers’ organisations in the territories benefiting from development projects. The increase is mainly linked to the excellent performance of the retail channel, with an increase in the number of references offered by the large own-brand chains, and consequently an increase in the number of third-party companies interested in investing in this market.
The Fairtrade certification is in addition to those already in the portfolio: all AromataGroup factories have Kosher, Halal, Bio and GMP certified lines, and are fully certified according to the FSSC22000 Standard, which combines a Food Safety Management System according to ISO 22000 with the control of its factories in compliance with the requirements of the ISO TS 22002 Technical Standard.
“At AromataGroup, quality is an interest shared by all internal and external stakeholders,” continues Dr. Rondinella. “The multi-site ISO 9001:2015 system certifications confirm this strategic approach and commitment to our customers and end consumers.”
