From fresh to processed products, quality is guaranteed by a certified and controlled supply chain

One aspect essential to stay on the market is to obtain tomatoes with a high brix degree and to have special varieties to enrich the specialty segment, which includes market niches that arouse the interest of consumers, who are curious and looking for quality products.  

Francesco Valenti and Alessandro La Russa, sales managers, and Salvatore La Porta, general manager of the Ferrera brand ready-made sauces line

"Datterino and ciliegino are two tomato varieties that are highly appreciated for their sweetness, versatility and organoleptic characteristics. In addition to the fresh produce, we also have artisanal sauces in various formats under the Ferrera brand," said Salvatore La Porta, general manager of L'Ortofrutticola F., during the interview about the processed products presented at TuttoFood Milano 2021.

L'Ortofrutticola F boasts an experience in the sector consolidated over the years and represents a reliable company in the processing and commercialization of high-quality fruit and vegetables. All productions originate from controlled cultivations of the territory of Niscemi and neighboring areas in Sicily. The assortment includes fresh products typical of the territory, such as tomatoes, artichokes, peppers, eggplants, courgettes, watermelons and yellow melons, destined to wholesale markets and to the Italian and foreign large-scale retail trade.

"The idea of launching a line of processed tomatoes comes from the observation of market trends that, in the segment of ready-made sauces, show a high level of appreciation for premium processed products with a controlled supply chain. We are referring to ready-to-use sauces, natural and not altered by high-temperature thermal processes. The result is a product that, although simple and containing only one ingredient (tomatoes), offers incomparable sweetness, persistent flavor and taste."

Ortofrutticola F is an ever-expanding company specialized in the production of fresh produce. One of its strong points is the synergic work with producers and a team of agronomists.

The company's plant is equipped with processing lines and refrigeration cells suitable to handle large quantities of product. The company extends over an internal area of 3,000 square meters and on an external area of 15,000 square meters, used for loading and unloading goods.

Summer fruits and vegetables are cultivated both in open fields and in greenhouses. The surfaces destined to the production of protected crops are about 200 hectares, with productions such as tomatoes, eggplants, courgettes. About 400 hectares are allocated to open field crops, 80% of which are dedicated to the cultivation of artichokes of different varieties.

"We produce significant amounts of tomatoes for the fresh market, in particular, cluster tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, piccadilly, date tomatoes, green tomatoes type S200, Merinda and green oblong tomatoes. We are talking about 9000 tons of product that represent, together with the production of artichoke, an important segment of the company's turnover. Among future projects, there is that of expanding the line of red processed products with other varieties of tomatoes typical of our territory," explained Salvatore La Porta.

The processed products are obtained from tomatoes grown 12 months a year in a sustainable way with a careful management of water resources and agronomic interventions aimed at obtaining a production of high quality in terms of taste and sugar content.

"Processed products are proving to be much more rewarding than expected, in Italy and especially abroad."

Ortofrutticola F has acquired the GlobalGAP quality management system certification for both fresh and processed products. The range of products is guaranteed of the following quality certifications: IFS, BRC, KOSCHER, ORGANIC.

With a growing turnover tripled in the last three years and an export share of 20%, L'Ortofrutticola F is present on global markets.