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Where Science Meets Flavor: The ‘EFKO’ Confectioners’ Conference

29.05.2025
Where Science Meets Flavor: The ‘EFKO’ Confectioners’ Conference
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The confectionery industry is on the verge of a major transformation. Consumer preferences are changing, and technological processes are becoming more advanced. The future of confectionery production lies at the intersection of science, technology, and a deep understanding of human needs. At the “EFKO” conference – titled “Confectionery: A New Reality” — scientists, technologists, and market experts gathered to discuss how the industry is dealing with these shifts.

Speed. Courage. Smoothness. The confectionery industry has entered a new era — an age of cutting-edge technology, personalized approaches, and the search for sugar alternatives. The trends are already being shaped by Generation Alpha — those who navigate the world through screens and tailored algorithms from the first days of their life. They are the ones transforming the industry today.

The market is now seeing a surge of innovative products that harmonize health benefits with bold flavors. Confectionery now features probiotics, vitamins, superfoods, and exotic tastes like yuzu, matcha, tea leaf, balsamic-banana, prickly pear, and poppy — signaling a shift from Western to Eastern-inspired preferences. Limited-edition treats — candies shaped like cupcakes, Easter kulich bread, or even diamonds — are no longer a niche trend but a mainstream demand.

Success belongs to those who drive innovation — launching cutting-edge technologies and breakthrough products. Businesses need young talents ready to tackle ambitious projects. Leading universities are our key partners in talent development — they tailor their curricula to real-world manufacturing needs. Students gain knowledge there, and we give them the platform to put it into action — right on our production lines.

For this reason, EFKO Group organized the conference in collaboration with two top academic institutions: ROSBIOTECH (Russia’s foremost food technology university) and Plekhanov Russian University of Economics (the nation’s leading economic university). The event brought together key confectionery manufacturers from Russia and CIS countries. Following the conference, participants received state-certified professional development certificates from ROSBIOTECH.

“Historically, our university has trained specialists for the confectionery industry. Our dedicated department ‘Confectionery, Sugary, Subtropical, and Flavoring Technologies’ — offers unique programs at both bachelor’s and master’s levels, as well as various professional development courses,” said Natalia Murina, Vice Rector for Technological Development at ROSBIOTECH.

 

“Moreover, we conduct joint research projects with universities. EFKO has been our long-term industrial partner, and together we’ve successfully executed multiple projects analyzing consumer properties of new product categories,” explained Dr. Tatiana Savenkova, Professor and Director of the Research Institute at Plekhanov Russian University of Economics.

 

Innovation is not just a trend – it’s the key to progress. EFKO technologists presented our product solutions that help manufacturers expand their range, including: specialty fats with shea butter for chocolate and nut butter, equivalents and improvers of cocoa butter for chocolate, mixed-type cocoa butter substitute for coatings, emulsifiers. All these ingredients were previously imported, but today we have launched their successful domestic production.

 

“One effective solution for manufacturers is our barrier fats with shea butter from the ‘Ekomix’ line,” explained Ekaterina Shishkina, EFKO Group technologist. “These are specifically formulated for nut-containing confectionery. Natural nut oils tend to migrate and oxidize that lead to product ‘blooming’ — white coating that appears on the surface. Our barrier fats help slow this process. Moreover, the shea butter helps fully enhance product taste and aroma profile.”

 

Today, “healthy” and “delicious” are no longer mutually exclusive concepts. Thanks to breakthroughs in food technology, manufacturers can now preserve texture, flavor, and visual appeal even in completely sugar-free sweets. At the conference, EFKO’s technologists invited participants to taste candies with an innovative ingredient — sweet protein — including: hazelnut-chocolate varieties, raspberry fruit-berry blends, creamy rum and cherry options.

The surprising flavor profile delighted attendees. This sweet protein — a groundbreaking ingredient for the Russian market — is:

-        a thousand times sweeter than sugar;

-        zero blood sugar impact;

-        non-contributory to fat accumulation;

-        enables guilt-free indulgence.

Conference attendees also tested chocolates with EFKO’s cocoa butter improver. Even the most discerning industry experts noted significant enhancements compared to traditional cocoa butter chocolate, including:

-        improved tempering stability;

-        faster crystallization rates;

-        superior hardness and clean snap.

 

“It’s no secret that cocoa product prices have undergone significant fluctuations,” noted Evgenia Potekhina, EFKO Group technologist. “This compels manufacturers to seek balanced solutions that meet consumer expectations. EFKO offers viable alternatives, such as equivalents and improvers of cocoa butter. These allow producers to maintain product quality — keeping it familiar to consumers — while stabilizing and enhancing technical performance.”

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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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