Swiss company PRONATEC opens its organic Cocoa processing plant in Beringen, Switzerland, to produce semi-finished Cocoa products, namely Cocoa mass, Cocoa butter and Cocoa powder.
Around 15,000 tonnes of organic Cocoa beans sourced from smallholder cooperatives will be processed by PRONATEC Swiss Cocoa Production per year.
Having its own Cocoa processing plant enables PRONATEC to control all phases of the value-added chain: bean procurement from small-scale farmers, fermentation, exportation, processing, and sale of the finished product. Each product can be traced back to the cocoa-growing smallholder, thanks to the company’s direct-sourcing approach.
More and more consumers are not only looking for sustainable products but wanting to know exactly where the ingredients come from. This production plant is our response to that trend.
The company’s Cocoa masses are originally sourced from one place, which means the Cocoa beans come from either one country or a sole cooperative. For Cocoa butter and Cocoa powder, PRONATEC uses mixtures of beans with a high proportion of Cocoa beans from YACAO, the company’s subsidiary in the Dominican Republic.
In addition, all semi-finished Cocoa products are produced in batches that are carefully separated, which means each consignment of beans does not mix with the previous or next production. This allows the processing plant to meet the stringent organic and Fairtrade certification requirements.
Demand from the market is confirming the trend towards stricter labels such as Bio Suisse and Demeter. Our products help to meet that need. He adds, “The FSSC 22000-certified plant, which has its own laboratory, guarantees the highest food safety and quality standards. In addition to its own beans, PRONATEC also processes its customers’ beans under contract (tolling).
Founded in 1976, PRONATEC has been distributing sustainably manufactured products to the global food industry and retailers, specifically in Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia, Australia, and North America. The company’s products include Cocoa beans, semi-finished Cocoa products, chocolate and coatings, sugar, vanilla and diverse organic and Fairtrade-certified spices.
