VOG Products, the South Tyrolean fruit processing company, not only processes increasing quantities of organic apples, but has also expanded its portfolio with Naturland-certified products. Of vital importance for customers is the regional origin of the raw materials that are sourced from the producer organisation’s members.

Supplies for organic apples have changed enormously. In Trentino-South Tyrol, which is home to the largest producers of organic apples in Europe with the producer organisations and VOG Products’ members VIP and VOG, 56,944 tonnes of organic products were harvested in 2018. The figure in 2022, in contrast, was 92,412 tonnes.

A trend that is also continuing in the organic quantities being delivered to VOG Products. In the 2022 financial year, this figure had already climbed to more than 32,000 tonnes. VOG Products processes and refines every third apple grown organically in Trentino-South Tyrol.

“We have been supporting this dynamic development for many years and are pursuing the objective of further expanding our leading position in the organic sector”, Christoph Tappeiner, CEO of VOG Products, explains. “We have been continually expanding our portfolio of organic products.”

VOG Products supplies high-quality products with the seal of the Bioland and Demeter organic farming associations and has also obtained the Bio Suisse certification. VOG Products has supplemented its organic range very recently with products certified according to Naturland standards. Naturland is the largest international association for organic farming in Germany, and its guidelines go far beyond EU regulations. They also include targets for social responsibility and other key aspects of sustainability.

Play it safe with members’ products

What stands out about VOG Products is that organic raw materials are sourced from its own members in South Tyrol and Trentino. “Organic to us means ‘members’ products’, and this is recognised on the market. This gives our products a clear identity,” Tappeiner emphasises.

Full traceability back to the committed organic producers in the region – mostly small family farms – is coupled with strict controls along the entire supply chain. VOG Products guarantees safe, inspected and healthy food as well as continuous availability and security of supply year-round. This unique supply chain is presented by VOG Products under the name FROM Italian Alps (further information can be found at https://www.vog-products.it/en/from).

Customers’ demands in the baby food industry are particularly stringent. This continues to be one of the key customer segments for VOG Products in the organic sector. The semi-finished organic products are in demand among baby food manufacturers due to the strictly controlled supply chain as well as their high quality. The private label business of the food retail trade is gaining significance in the apple sauce sector, but organic also plays a major role in the apple juice industry.

Along with juices, concentrates and purées/pulp – also available in convenient small-sized packaging such as the “Bag-in-Box” – the South Tyrolean producer organisation also supplies organic-quality frozen fruits, cut and canned products and steamed fruits.