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Persimmon, pomegranate and more: EFKO reveals the tastes of Azerbaijan

25.04.2025
Persimmon, pomegranate and more: EFKO reveals the tastes of Azerbaijan
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Persimmon, pomegranate and more: EFKO reveals the tastes of Azerbaijan
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Independence Day: EFKO replaces imports of food ingredients

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Azerbaijan is one of the key markets for consumption of oil and fat products among the CIS countries. Better quality of life, the increase of population and income, urbanization and advantageous logistics make Azerbaijan attractive for exporters. EFKO’s Oil and Fat Division held a technology forum in Baku entitled “Possibilities of Using Food Ingredients: Practical Aspects”. The event brought together the largest food producers of this region on one platform.

 

In 2006 EFKO started to ship its fat and oil products to Azerbaijan. Since then, the company has been exporting the entire range of specialty fats and margarines to the Republic.

 

“In terms of consumption volumes, this market is estimated at around 20 thousand tons of products per year,” notes Eduard Tsuverkalov, Director of Export Sales Development Department. “Upon the last year results, we grew here both in monetary terms and in volumes by two times. Due to close and fruitful cooperation with the local trading and distribution company “Veysəloğlu” it became possible. At the same time, we have room for moving forward. We plan to occupy more than 40% of the Azerbaijani market, and our plans include expanding the range of ingredients.”

 

In 2023, the Azerbaijan largest share of import included confectionery, flour and bakery products and it accounted for 41.3% of the volume of supplies. Chocolate and sugar confectionery products accounted for 39.7% and 19.1% of imports. There are a significant number of local companies operating in Azerbaijan, but domestic demand significantly exceeds the existing production capacity of these products, which defines import increase.

 

Today, EFKO’s food ingredients portfolio includes about 200 items, which means that manufacturers of confectionery, bakery, and dairy products can find everything they need.

 

The range of milk fat replacers “Ecolact” and “Oilblend” for milk-containing products, “Ecouniversal” and “Ecoslice” for bakery products have been known to Azerbaijani manufacturers for a long time.

 

Due to the relatively high birth rate in the country, the sales volume of sweets is expected to increase. Our company offers confectionery fats “Econfe” and “Ecomix” for the production of wafers, candies and other products loved by young consumers. Experts note the potential sale growth of chocolate with toys. The best solution for the production of high-quality and tasty products is cocoa butter equivalents and replacers.

 

During the tasting at the forum, EFKO technologists presented already beloved Azerbaijani products in a new interpretation: puff pastries, shortbread cookies, muffins, chocolate and spreads.

 

“Our guests liked the Eastern Sweets, Truffle Delight, coated wafers, crispy cookie sticks, kurabiye cookies, and muffins. We told not only how to make delicious sweets using our ingredients, but also revealed technological secrets that our colleagues can immediately use in their production. How to achieve maximum flavor release, how to make sure that the filling and body of the sweet do not come into “conflict” but enhance each other’s flavor, how to make crumbly cookies and fluffy muffins. Our technologists are happy to share their experience,” said Sofya Tokar, EFKO’s leading technologist.

 

Another area in which the company’s specialists see opportunities for development in the Azerbaijani market is high-tech food additives and ingredients, those are emulsifiers, lecithins, cocoa products, and as well chocolate and coatings in the near future.

 

This is a great opportunity for local manufactures not only to expand, but also to improve their already familiar range of products with complete quality control.

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Dear partners!

In order to improve EFKO products and quality of service, as well as to better meet your needs, we ask you to answer a few questions.

In the Alekseevskaya Sloboda of the Belgorod province, where in the late 1820s, sunflower oil was produced for the first time in the Russian Empire, and the first oil mill in Russia was built.

During the years of the First World War, and then the Civil War, production was completely stopped. The restoration of the plant began only in 1923. The main focus of its work remained the processing of coriander and anise. In 1936, the second oil extraction plant in all of Russia was built in Alekseevka. Later, both enterprises were merged into one of the largest essential oil extraction complexes in the Soviet Union.

During the Great Patriotic War, the complex was almost destroyed. Restoration work, which began in 1943, continued until the end of 1948. In the post-war period, comprehensive reconstruction was carried out on many sections using the latest technological advancements. By the 1970s, the Alekseevsky essential oil extraction complex produced up to 80% of the world's coriander oil. For its achievements in production development, the development and implementation of advanced technology, by decree of August 14, 1972, the Supreme Soviet of the USSR awarded the plant the Order of the Badge of Honor.

Unfortunately, in the 1990s, the enterprise that brought fame and wealth to the people of Alekseevka fell into decline and practically collapsed. The revival of the enterprise began in 1994 with the arrival of a new team and the creation of the EFCO Group.

The enterprise underwent large-scale modernization of production and established a new management system. The company decided to return to its roots and resume the production of sunflower oil. Later, EFCO expanded the range and volume of products.

In 2002, a new business direction was opened, and the most modern plant for the production of specialized fats and margarines for the food industry, EFCO Food Ingredients, was launched in the city of Alekseevka, Belgorod region. A scientific and production laboratory was established at the plant, equipped to control product quality at all stages of production and conduct in-depth scientific research.

In 2002–2003, EFCO technologists mastered the most environmentally friendly process of vegetable oil processing – the 'dry' fractionation method, applied the technology of physical refining of oils and fats, and managed to create Russia's first cocoa butter substitute 'Ecolad,', milk fat substitute 'Ecolact,', solid confectionery fat 'Ekond,', soft confectionery fat 'Ekonfe,', universal margarines 'Ecouniversal,', frying shortenings 'Ecofri,', and the first domestic fats with minimal trans-isomers content – confectionery fats 'Econat.'

In 2005, the R&D center of the fats and oils division was created based on EFCO Food Ingredients, consisting of the Applied Research Center and the Pilot Plant Department. The center’s specialists are engaged in developing and testing fat products for healthy eating lines and innovative recipes, taking into account the needs of manufacturers.

In 2006, the company was the first in Russia to successfully pass an audit for compliance with the quality and safety requirements of the BRC (Global Standard for Food Safety) and the International Food Standard (IFS).

In 2008, the second plant for the production of specialized fats and margarines was launched in the port of Taman in the Krasnodar Territory, and the only deep-water sea terminal for food cargo in Russia was built.

The following year, the plant successfully passed certification for compliance with the quality and safety requirements of the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and the International Food Standard (IFS). International auditors awarded the company the highest compliance level – Grade AA.

In 2014, the company’s technologists created the first domestic equivalent of cocoa butter.

In 2015, the EFCO Group launched a project to create a unique fats and oils cluster in the Republic of Kazakhstan. Thanks to production modernization and the transfer of global technologies, the production of specialized fats and margarines meeting the highest international standards was established in a short time.

In 2016, EFCO opened its fourth site for the production of specialized fats and margarines at the Evdakovsky fats and oils plant in the Voronezh region.

In 2021, production capacity at the Taman port facility was increased – launching the world's first 'million-ton plant' for the production of specialized fats and margarines.

In 2023, the company launched the only shea nut processing plant in Russia.

Thanks to R&D and significant investments by domestic producers in developing their own infrastructure, primarily by EFCO, the share of imported producers in the Russian food ingredients market has decreased from 49% to 9% over the past 15 years and continues to decline.

Almost 200 years later, Alekseevka remains the largest center for vegetable oil processing in the country.

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