"Our philosophy is based on the concept of 'tailor made', i.e., we make a product according to customer needs, even if it is not 'in the catalogue', even if it is totally new, and even if new research has to be undertaken to make it. We appreciate challenges, and we always try to renew ourselves, as we are aware that one can indeed make mistakes, but with the certainty that they will serve to move forward." With her enthusiasm, Simona Caratozzolo, commercial director of Citrofood, reflects the dynamism of the Sicilian company based in Capo d'Orlando (Messina).
Simona Caratozzolo
"We process citrus fruits - mainly lemons, but all other types as well. We are now in our 42nd citrus fruit campaign. We produce mostly specialities, concentrates, juices, frozen peels, and essential oils. Our market is the world; in fact, we export about 85% of our production, although our products have also been increasingly sold in Italy for some years now."
Constant renewal requires different approaches. The director confirms, in fact, the company's desire to never stop: "We are always looking for salespeople, young technicians, experts, and graduates who have the seed of innovation within them. You may think that there is a marked seasonality in our industry, which is true to some extent. But in reality, we never stop because when citrus processing declines, we focus mainly on new projects. We are literally hungry for knowledge."
Initially dedicated only to the industrial processing of lemons, the company soon got organised for the pressing of blood and blond oranges, tangerines, clementines, grapefruits, and bitter oranges, in order to expand its offer and fully manifest its production capabilities. Thanks to the application of new technologies, the company was able to start creating a more complete range of Italian fruit, offering different opportunities for the preparation of finished products suitable for a wide range of customers.
"Always focused on its goal of reaching the highest quality level through continuous technological improvement, Citrofood is a reliable partner for leading customers in various sectors, including juices, nectars, beverages, breakfast products, condiments, bases for ice cream and pastries, flavourings, cosmetics, perfumes, and pharmaceutical products."
"The best citrus fruit in the world grows between Sicily and Calabria, and I say this without fear of being contradicted. Our aim is to obtain processed products that reflect the raw material as closely as possible. That is why we make use of cold extraction and all the latest technologies to avoid altering the flavour, aroma, and highly volatile chemical components. In our work, every day is a continuous challenge to do better than the day before."
One of the most appreciated technologies for maintaining the characteristics of the raw material in the juice is the Ice-Gen. "This is a system that gets unaltered juice to consumers thanks to the use of low temperatures, as the freshly-squeezed juice from the citrus fruits comes out of the machine with 30% ice. This not only guarantees healthiness from a microbiological point of view, but also allows all the organoleptic characteristics to be preserved, just like a freshly-pressed product at home," concludes Simona Caratozzolo.
Citrofood has recently obtained the ISO45001 and SMETA 4 PILLARS certifications, among others.
The company has an in-house analysis and R&D departments, and also makes use of external laboratories.
For more information
Citrofood 
Piazza San Giuseppe
Contrada Malvicino
98071 Capo d'Orlando
Messina - Italy
+39 0941 9523330
[email protected]
www.citrofood.it
