“Best Product” and “Innovative Product” – EFKO oil and fat division returned from Prodexpo-2023 with 12 gold medals in two competitions.
Milk fat substitutes, confectionery fats, cocoa butter equivalent, and EFKO frying oil won in the Best Product nomination.
Due to the specifics of the business model, food ingredients are little known to the average consumer. But only at first glance. Every second candy on Russian shelves contains specialized EFKO fats.
For example, the equivalent of Equilade cocoa butter protects sweets from temperature changes, as well as the appearance of "fat bloom" - the premature appearance of a light coating on chocolate. Premium confectionery fats "Ekonat" and "Ekond" are optimal for the fillings of "Assorted" sweets: the first one is for more delicate ones, and "Ekond" is for harder ones, such as pralines. In 2022, Oilmiх frying oil began to be used in most large fast food chains, so the victory at Prodexpo consolidated the success of the company's technologists and managers.
The winners in the Innovative Product nomination were the EFKO crystallizer, a novelty of last year, as well as the mixture of vegetable oils for baby food Umkalakt. The former improves the structures of margarines and milk-containing products, and also protects sweets from the migration of liquid oils. Since 2021, Umkalakt has taken over the import substitution of the most important ingredient responsible for the beneficial properties of powdered milk formulas and fermented milk products for babies.
One of the main business events of Prodexpo 2023 was the session “Efficient production in a crisis? Yes!". EFKO was invited to participate as a two-time winner of the RF Government Prize in the field of quality.
“Back in the early 2000s, the Russian market for specialized fats and margarines was occupied by imported products. The volume of imports was 70%, and for the most high-tech positions it reached 100%, - shared Alexander Alekseenko, director of the EFKO oil and fat division for the dairy industry. – Already having extensive experience in the classical processing of oilseeds, EFKO saw this as a reason to seriously engage in R&D and the introduction of modern technologies for processing oils. Today, 95% of specialized fats in Russia are Russian-made. We have learned to produce absolutely all types of oil and fat products that exist in the world, ahead of accepted safety standards. Among other things, they were the first to learn how to produce fats without trans-isomers, and three years ago they ensured the content of glycidyl esters in all their products below 1 mg/kg. Voluntarily and ahead of schedule, they assumed the requirements of the new technical regulation - in accordance with the most stringent international standards. The implementation of advanced safety standards, a strong R&D base and the strictest 24/7 technology compliance controls have been and continue to be the foundation of the sustainability and efficiency of our division's business model.”
