VOG Products recently added a very special product to its assortment: “apple compote with pieces”, in which the creamy texture of the apple mousse meets apple chunks, resulting in an unforgettable flavour. High-quality steamed apple chunks are combined with apple mousse to create a “ready-to-use” product.
Organic quality or integrated quality, sweetened or unsweetened, produced with a single variety or mix: the new apple compote mixes with apple chunks from VOG Products are an excellent example of products which can be customised to your preference. The cans with apple compote mixes with tender apple chunks are products entirely designed to meet customer needs.
Versatility and the fact that it can be used in a wide range of applications. (Photo: VOG Products)
The main features of this new product are its versatility and the fact that it can be used in a wide range of applications. Apple mousse with apple chunks is therefore a “wild card” in the world of food products: it is not only used as a base mixture for other recipes, but also as a ingredient for further processing by customers in the food and beverage industry. The many possible uses range from “ready-to-use” apple compote for hotels or canteens to fillings for bakery and confectionary. The mix, which is exclusively composed of fruit, also opens up interesting opportunities for the dairy industry.
Solutions tailored to customers
“We have always aspired to develop customer-specific solutions,” comments Christoph Tappeiner, CEO of VOG Products. “The apple compote with pieces are the result of in-house development. We focused on product customisation to enable numerous applications for our customers.”
“For the production of the apple mousse with pieces, we only use top-quality ingredients from controlled or integrated organic farming. This is all backed by our unique supply chain,” explains Tappeiner.
A unique supply chain
The producer organisation has an extraordinary supply chain that guarantees continuous availability, traceability, and guaranteed supply throughout the year. The “FROM: Italian Alps” seal also certifies that the raw materials come from VOG Products member growers. These members comprise around 6,000 family farms that supply the fruit-growing cooperatives with products made with great expertise and experience.
VOG Products The VOG Products producer organisation, based in Laives, is owned by two South Tyrolean producer organisations and 17 fruit-growing cooperatives. The company processes 300,000 to 400,000 tonnes of fruit from integrated and organic cultivation into apple juice (concentrate and NFC juice), purees and finished products. VOG Products exports 90% of its products to almost 50 countries worldwide. www.vog-products.it/en/
Sponsored Post – “From: Italian Alps” is the quality promise of VOG Products, the fruit processing company from South Tyrol. A unique supply chain supports their promise. The benefit for customers: seamless traceability and tight controls from cultivation to the final product – be it juice, purée, finished products or chunky products like steamed apples and frozen products.
With around 300 sunny days every year and cool nights, the alpine valleys of South Tyrol and Trentino are an ideal location for fruit cultivation – particularly for the cultivation of apples, which enjoy the best climatic conditions. The farmers attach great importance to dealing with land and its resources respectfully and sustainably. The dedicated producers combine the know-how they have acquired over decades with the latest findings from research and practice. The producers are organised in cooperatives and producers’ organisations that work together in a perfectly meshed structure.
“From: Italian Alps” describes the many quality features (Photo: VOG Products)
The quality promise “From: Italian Alps” describes the many quality features and strengths of the unique VOG Products supply chain:
The raw material originated in the orchards of the company’s own members (100 % traceability).
Short distances: VOG Products processes fruit from the immediate surrounding area.
The apples are cultivated in an integrated or organic production way. The producers have pledged to uphold guidelines that guarantee exemplary agricultural production and go above and beyond the legal stipulations (e.g., the Agrios guidelines). The organic goods processed by VOG Products are certified by recognised associations (Bioland, BioSuisse, Naturland and Demeter).
Sustainability is part of VOG Products’ DNA, which is ensured by certification from the orchard to the final product (FSA certification)
Ripened by the Mediterranean sun and picked by hand: in South Tyrol and Trentino, apples are cultivated under ideal climatic conditions and harvested at the optimum time.
“Along the entire production chain, nothing is left to chance. Our FROM quality promise covers everything from fruit cultivation to the final product and includes the entire supply chain,” said Christoph Tappeiner, CEO of VOG Products. “We know where the fruit come from and which production steps they have gone through.”
Certified sustainability
VOG Products rely on the highest quality standards, which are safeguarded through certifications from incoming goods to the final product. And the sustainable FROM products can be certified by the FSA upon request. VOG Products has passed the Farm Sustainability Assessment in collaboration with producers’ organisations, cooperatives and producers with the highest possible sustainability standard: gold.
Around the globe, the SAI (Sustainable Agriculture Initiative) platform checks the sustainability of agricultural operations against a compact, verifiable standard. This makes it easier for distributors and producers to procure safe, sustainable products transparently and more efficiently. Alongside social, ecological and economic aspects, the platform also collect data on compliance with human rights, working conditions and social standards.
About VOG Products VOG Products is owned by three producers’ organisations from South Tyrol and Trentino and 17 fruit cooperatives from South Tyrol. Their member base is composed of around 6,000 producers, most of whom are small family-managed enterprises devoted to maintaining and farming their orchards. More information at: www.vog-products.it/en/from
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 on the market 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.
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.
What stands out about VOG Products is that organic raw materials are sourced from its own members in South Tyrol and Trentino. 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.
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 for 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.
Sponsored Post – VOG Products, the South Tyrol fruit-processing company, has integrated sustainability into its corporate strategy. Priorities, measures and objectives are set out in the sustainability report , which has now been presented for the first time.
Sustainability has been firmly embedded in the DNA of VOG Products since it was founded in 1967. “Our founders’ desire and goal was to give every apple a value – regardless of whether it was too small, too big or didn’t have enough colour – according to the principle: every apple is a good apple,” said Christoph Tappeiner, CEO of VOG Products.
click picture to download the sustainability report
For VOG Products, sustainability is comprehensive: it includes social, ecological and economic aspects. VOG Products’ sustainability strategy is based on six key themes: water, energy and climate protection, health and occupational safety, regional added value, healthy products and innovation. The management and the 210 employees are working hard at every level to achieve their ambitious goals.
These range from a reduction in energy and water consumption to the improvement in the carbon footprint, a safe working environment (goal: zero serious accidents in the workplace) and added value that benefits the members who leave the raw materials to the company. The sustainability report provides information about the strategic approach, measures implemented and planned and the goals being pursued. The report (entitled: “Sustainability is part of our DNA”) has been prepared according to the GRI Standard (Global Reporting Initiative) and refers to the financial years 2020/21 and 2021/22.
Measures for greater sustainability
Probably the key environmental measure implemented in the 2022/23 financial year is the exhaust vapour compression project: the existing evaporation system, which is used in the production of concentrates, will be expanded to include mechanical exhaust vapour compression. The compressed exhaust vapour will in future be reused over several stages to evaporate the remaining water in the juice. In addition to saving steam, the performance required of the cooling tower is also reduced, as are CO2 emissions.
The cooling water has already been optimised: VOG Products has calculated a savings potential of 700,000 cubic metres by using water twice as cooling and transport water.
The producer organisation’s corporate carbon footprint has been calculated since 2020/21. A key partial goal has already been achieved in the past financial year: VOG Products has achieved CO2 neutrality for Scope 2 since green energy solely from hydropower is being purchased in the electricity sector. Efforts to reduce CO2 emissions are aimed at reducing energy consumption in the gas sector and expanding the company’s own photovoltaic system.
EcoVadis, the world’s most reliable provider of sustainability assessments for global supply chains, recently recognised VOG Products’ continuous efforts by awarding them a silver medal.
Sponsored Post – VOG Products attaches the utmost importance to sustainability, quality and product safety along the entire supply and production chain. This is also evidenced by the EcoVadis silver medal and SGF membership.
The sustainable and careful use of resources runs through the entire production process at VOG Products – from field to processing, particularly since the South Tyrol fruit processing company is closely linked through its members to regional farming, which is based on a long tradition of growing fruit.
Christoph Tappeiner (Photo: VOG Products)
“We know where the raw materials come from and which production steps they have gone through. This traceability to the source and comprehensive quality controls along the entire production line are key prerequisites for creating safe, sustainable, high-quality products”, Christoph Tappeiner, CEO of VOG Products, emphasises.
VOG Products belongs to three producers’ organisations from South Tyrol and Trentino, plus 18 cooperatives from South Tyrol. The membership comprises around 6,000 small, family-run operations: fruit-growers who tend their orchards with passion and devotion.
The entire supply chain is involved
Sustainability is firmly embedded in VOG Products’ strategy and is actively implemented throughout the production process. This was also recently confirmed by EcoVadis, the world’s most reliable provider of sustainability ratings for global supply chains, which rewarded the efforts of VOG Products with a silver medal. The silver status means that VOG Products is among the top 25 per cent of all companies rated. The EcoVadis rating looks at environmental aspects, as well as employment and human rights, ethics and sustainable procurement.
Criteria that also play an essential role for VOG Products as an SGF-certified member. “SGF” stands for the fruit juice industry’s “Sure – Global – Fair” industrial self-regulation, which has established in this a voluntary control system (VCS) for all the production and trading stages of its products. In other words, the quality, safety, authenticity and sustainability of juices, fruit nectars, and other products made from fruit are controlled on the global market and action is taken against food fraud. This is how SGF guarantees fair competition and compliance with legal and industrial quality and safety standards.
The control system includes factory inspections as well as checks on semi-finished and finished products throughout the entire supply chain. Specifically, this means that the suppliers are also included. They are subject to checks on hygiene, traceability and documentation, for instance, and they adopt the Code of Conduct, which regulates environmental and social aspects.
VOG Products are represented on the SGF Executive Committee by their CEO, Christoph Tappeiner.
Sponsored Post – The South Tyrolean fruit processing company VOG Products has come up with new organic products, for example Demeter-certified juices and purées. Quality is also guaranteed by the source, because the raw products originate solely from the company’s own members.
When consumers are looking for safe, monitored and healthy food, they like to buy organic products. This is also reflected in cultivation: for example, Assomela, the association of Italian apple producers, is forecasting record organic production in Italy this year – 197,402 tonnes and an increase of 4 per cent compared to 2021. The same is true for VOG Products: here, the quantities of organic raw products delivered have doubled in the last three years.
VOG Products is a trend-setter on the organic market and has continuously been expanding the organic range: along with juices, concentrates and purées, – also available in practical small-format packaging such as the “Bag-in-Box” – the South Tyrolean organisation of producers also offers organic-quality frozen fruits, cut and canned fruits.
Compliance with the highest organic quality standard is always guaranteed: following the Bioland partnership and the certification obtained last year from Bio Suisse, the largest organic organisation in Switzerland, VOG Products has recently also become Demeter-certified. Demeter is the oldest organic association in Germany, whose criteria for food processing go far beyond the requirements of the EU Regulation on Organic Farming.
Origin as an additional guarantee of safety
Christoph Tappeiner (Photo: VOG Products)
“Our organic range is diverse – but one thing always remains the same: every product and every package contains our expertise in the organic sector, which has grown over the years,” emphasises Christoph Tappeiner, CEO of VOG Products. “We source our organic raw materials solely from our members in South Tyrol and Trentino. With traceability back to the origin and close monitoring along the entire production chain, we meet the highest safety and quality standards, something that customers and consumers in the organic sector value greatly”, says Tappeiner.
In addition, the sun-drenched hills are an ideal location for the best organic apples. The raw materials come from within a radius of no more than 70 kilometres. The producers are organic farmers by conviction and manage the mostly small family farms close to nature and with a lot of heart. VOG Products is closely linked to the producers, especially since the fruit processing company based in Laives is owned by three organisations of producers from South Tyrol and Trentino and 18 South Tyrolean cooperatives. On this basis there are around 6,000 families of fruit growers, many of whom recognised early on the enormous potential of organic cultivation.
South Tyrol does, in fact, play a leading role in the organic sector at European level: organisations of producers based in the region and VOG Products members VIP and VOG are the largest producers of organic apples in Europe. What is significant is that almost every fourth organic apple in the EU comes from South Tyrol.
Sponsored Post – Sustainability is firmly embedded in the strategy of VOG Products. The prestigious EcoVadis award, the world’s most reliable provider of sustainability ratings for global supply chains, has confirmed the company’s active effort in the entire production process, rewarding it with a silver medal a few weeks ago.
Christoph Tappeiner (Photo: VOG Products)
“We are proud and happy to have received this honour, which is an important signal to our customers and consumers: we offer safe, sustainable and high-quality products,” said Christoph Tappeiner, the CEO of VOG Products. The silver status means that VOG Products is among the top 25 per cent of all companies rated. The EcoVadis rating looks at environmental aspects, as well as employment and human rights, ethics and sustainable procurement.
Two years ago, VOG Products passed the «GLOBAL G.A.P. Farm Sustainability Assessment» with the FSA Gold label and since then, has systematically taken next steps. For example, it invested in the continuous development of its own photovoltaic system and now obtains 100 per cent of its power from renewable energy. “We calculated our corporate carbon footprint and verify it every year. By doing so, we can systematically implement measures to increase energy efficiency and further lower our CO2 emissions,” said CEO Tappeiner.
From the field to processing: saving water at all levels
Water is a special focus of VOG Products: with the “Cooling water optimisation” project, the company saved as much water in 2022 as 15,000 people consume in one year – by using the same water twice as cooling water and as transport water.
Water is not only saved on the company grounds in Laives, but also along the VOG Products supply chain: infact, the Laimburg Research Centre collaborated with the Alto Adige Consultancy Centre to develop “Smart Land”, a system that uses high-quality sensor technology to measure soil moisture in the field and connect it to current weather and temperature data. The data are then transmitted via app in real time to farmers, who use it for the needs-orientated watering of the fruit orchards. With “Smart Land”, water savings of up to 50 per cent can be achieved.
This year, VOG Products, an innovative fruit processing company from Trentino-South Tyrol (Italy), produced a base for apple vinegar (cider) for the first time. After all, a current development in the market shows that the trend is moving from balsamic vinegar towards apple vinegar. For apple vinegar, the company has special tanks for fermentation. Concentrate and juice from high-quality raw goods are used as base for the cider that is further processed by the vinegar industry.
Another new addition to the VOG Products assortment: apple flour and dried apples in the form of rings or cubes – as our customers wish – from various apple varieties. With these products, VOG Products primarily targets the baked goods and sweets industries, as well as granola producers and suppliers of fruit preparations.
The continuous availability of premium raw goods, traceability and the highest quality and safety standards are important components of VOG Products’ recipe for success. At the same time, the fruit processing company established in 1967 values innovation and further development highly. VOG Products now belongs to 4 producers’ organisations from South Tyrol and Trentino plus 18 cooperatives from South Tyrol with a total of around 10,000 members.
The processing company VOG Products from South Tyrol continuously invests in new technologies. The most recent examples are the NFC juice line commissioned this year and a new sterile tank storage system that is almost completed.
Each of the six new tanks is six metres in diameter and 25 metres high, and can contain up to 625,000 litres of apple juice.
New NFC juice line
The raw goods are moving through the new production line for premium juices that features particularly careful dry transport and uses a cutting-edge belt press.
The new intake line at VOG Products can receive up to 150 tonnes of fruit per hour. It transports the fruit dry and not in water. Sails are used to enable the apples to roll along for processing, which results in fewer bruises and damaged spots. Dry transport has one additional advantage: the system consumes much less water.
The main element for juice extraction is the new belt press, which VOG Products uses to produce high-quality premium juice that features a long shelf life and more appealing colouration.
VOG Products ensures that the juice’s quality and turbidity are consistently in line with consumer wishes. In the separator (centrifuge), solid material and starches are removed from the juice with high efficiency and 100 % automation – exactly to the extent that meets the specified quality standards or the customer’s requirements.
Sponsored Post – “SGF” stands for Sure – Global – Fair. It is the fruit juice industry’s voluntary self-regulation system. As a certified member of SGF, the processing company VOG Products from Trentino-South Tyrol guarantees high quality and safety standards that apply to the entire supply chain.
Traceability to the source and comprehensive quality control along the entire production line are key prerequisites for creating safe, high-quality products. VOG Products, the modern and innovative fruit processing company in Laives, places great importance to safety and quality.
The fruit juice industry set up a voluntary self-regulation system for all the production and trade stages of its products. (Photo: VOG Products)
The company belongs to 4 producers’ organisations from South Tyrol and Trentino plus 18 cooperatives from South Tyrol with a total of around 10,000 members. Most of the members are families that care for their apple orchards with love and devotion. Dealing with land and its resources respectfully is firmly embedded in the region’s long agricultural tradition.
VOG Products consistently processes the fruit of the family-run orchards and prepares it further – through its SGF certification as well. The association that supports SGF is committed to food safety and quality.
The fruit juice industry set up a voluntary self-regulation system for all the production and trade stages of its products: In other words, the quality, safety, authenticity and sustainability of juices, fruit nectars, and other products made from fruit in the global market are controlled and action is taken against food fraud. SGF ensures fair competition and compliance with legal and industrial quality and safety standards.
Christoph Tappeiner (Photo: VOG Products)
“VOG Products is not only a member of the private, non-profit organisation SGF International e.V. We also participate in the voluntary self-regulation system that includes inspections of our company, half-finished goods and finished goods along the entire supply chain,” explained Christoph Tappeiner, the CEO of VOG Products.
“We request our suppliers to undergo our hygiene, traceability and documentation inspections as well. The suppliers accept the code of behaviour, which contains rules on environmental and social aspects such as the exclusion of child labour. At VOG Products, we are convinced that our participation in the industry’s voluntary self-regulation system generates added value for both our company and our customers,” said Tappeiner, who is also a member of the SGF executive committee.
Sponsored Post – The fruit processing company VOG Products is the world’s largest producer of organic apple juice, concentrate and purée at one location. This year’s harvest in South Tyrol and Trentino provides outstanding conditions for premium quality and high-value products.
The Trentino-South Tyrol region on the southern side of the Alps looks back at a long tradition of fruit cultivation. With 300 sunny days per year and cool nights, the climate there is ideal. This is reflected in the taste and aroma of the fruit that VOG Products processes and refines.
2021 has proven to be an excellent year for apple quality in South Tyrol and Trentino. The weather conditions are currently optimal for the harvest. During the day, the sun shines down on the apple fields and the cool nights ensure that the colour will be intense. The Gala apples harvested this year are a brilliant red colour that is seldom seen – even the apples from areas where colouring does not easily develop are bright red.
VOG Products, the modern fruit processing company headquartered in Laives, belongs to 4 producers’ organisations from South Tyrol and Trentino and 18 cooperatives from South Tyrol with more than 10,000 members. Most of them are small family operations that care for their apple orchards with love and devotion.
Pioneer in Europe
Martin Bristot (Photo: VOG Products)
Agriculture is acknowledged for its great importance throughout the region. After all, dealing with land and its resources respectfully is firmly embedded in the culture there. In this spirit, sustainable production is a matter of course for local fruit growers, many of whom have embraced organic cultivation. “Biosüdtirol and Bio Vinschgau have now become the largest organic producers in Europe,” explained Senior Key Account Manager Martin Bristot, who is responsible for the organic sector at VOG Products.
Organic apples now make up around 10 % of the total harvest in South Tyrol. Despite frosty nights in the spring, the official harvest forecasts indicate that the organic proportion in South Tyrol will remain constant in 2021. As compared to the previous year, in Trentino organically cultivated apples should record growth of around 20 %.
The figures show a trend: in three years, the quantity of organic raw goods delivered to VOG Products has more than trebled. As a result, the fruit processing company from Laives is now the world’s largest producer of organic apple juice, concentrate and purée at one location. VOG Products continues to source its organic goods exclusively from its members’ members: the around 10,000 farmers from the growing area.
Bioland: a guarantee of quality
Top conditions at the location, tightly meshed quality control and traceability back to the farmers are particularly valuable in the organic sector. But VOG Products goes a step farther. “VOG Products is Bioland-certified or rather, a portion of our suppliers provide Bioland goods,” said Bristot. The seal has more stringent guidelines than those laid down in the EU regulation on organic production. “In Germany, the most important market for apple juice, the organic niche is growing: the quantities demanded are increasing significantly,” Bristot added.
“In combination with South Tyrol as the region of origin, these quality aspects are important for many purchasers and during the COVID-19 pandemic, they have become even more important.”
Renowned companies in food retailing have also recognised the potential and are jumping onto the organic bandwagon. “They aim to convert a certain percentage of their assortment from conventional to organic. We are primarily observing the trend in Germany, but France, Austria and the Scandinavian countries are all following suit,” explained Bristot. “That is giving the saleable quantities of direct apple juice an enormous boost.” But in the affluent exotic markets in Asia and the US as well, consumers are very aware of organic quality.
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VOG Products has always relied on premium quality. The new NFC juice line blends seamlessly into the quality strategy of the modern fruit processing company headquartered in Laives, in the Trentino-South Tyrol (Italy) region.
Christoph Tappeiner (Photo: VOG Products)
As a pioneer in the premium juice segment, VOG Products continuously invests in new technologies in order to attain even higher quality standards. The most recent example is the NFC juice line, which was commissioned this year. “Even better juices resulting from more careful processing – this is VOG Products’ strategy for success,” said Christoph Tappeiner, CEO of VOG Products.
The new intake line can receive up to 150 tonnes of fruit per hour and transports the raw goods very carefully. “The apples are transported dry and not in water. We use sails to prevent them from falling from great heights. Instead, they roll towards the processing line,” Tappeiner explained. “This results in fewer bruises or damaged spots – and excellent raw goods are the indispensable basis for a safe, high-quality end product.”
Not least due to its dry transport technology, the system also features low water consumption. “We constantly think through our processes critically in order to conserve resources and work sustainably,” said Tappeiner.
After all, VOG Products is closely connected to Trentino-South Tyrol, a region with a long tradition of agriculture that prizes handling the land and its resources with respect and a view to the future. Today, the fruit processing company belongs to 4 producer organisations from South Tyrol and Trentino and 18 cooperatives with more than 10,000 members, most of which are small family operations that care for their apple orchards with love and devotion.
The belt press: a mark of quality
After the apples are washed, pre-sorted, and cut up, the belt press is essential for juice extraction. “The belt press yields high-quality premium juice that is particularly rich in vitamins and features a long shelf life and more appealing colouration, among other properties.”
VOG Products ensures that the juice’s quality and turbidity are consistently in line with consumer wishes. In the separator (centrifuge), solid material and starches are removed from the juice with high efficiency and 100 % automation – exactly to the extent that meets the specified quality standards.
VOG Products is orientated to its customers’ individual requirements in all respects. Direct juice from VOG Products is also available by type and in organic quality.
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The ideal climatic and agronomic conditions in the Trentino-South Tyrol region provide VOG Products with a clear mission in addition to high-quality raw goods in secure quantities: what began on the region’s fields continues in the fruit processing facilities.
Trentino-South Tyrol looks back on a long fruit-growing tradition. After all, the climate with 300 sunny days per year and cool nights is ideal – growing conditions that are naturally reflected in taste and aroma. It’s no coincidence that VOG Products was established there in 1967. The great importance of agriculture is generally acknowledged throughout the region. Dealing with land and its resources respectfully and sustainably has always been firmly embedded in the culture there. There are good reasons why Trentino-South Tyrol regularly ranks at the top in comparisons of quality of life across Italy.
The region’s apple farmers can rely on a unique centre of excellence: a network comprising cooperatives, consulting structures, and renowned research institutes such as the Laimburg Research Centre, the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, and NOI Science and Technology Park supports them with advice and assistance.
Along the entire production chain – from qualified staff to state-of-the-art infrastructure –, nothing is left to chance. Each production step is structured and monitored. “That’s what is so special about this region,” affirmed Christoph Tappeiner, CEO of VOG Products. “It turns origin into a guarantee of security. We benefit from an ideal agronomic setting in which decades of experience are consciously combined with innovative approaches.”
This interplay ensures that technical aids and know-how are always at the cutting edge. For example, three-quarters of the areas under cultivation have frost-protection sprinklers, ensuring quantity security even in the event of freak weather.
The varietal strategies are another key indicator for innovation and advanced development. “On the one hand, if we think of Golden, the varieties are an expression of tradition. On the other hand, development takes place continuously in order to lift the region to a new level,” explained Tappeiner. New varieties such as Envy, Cosmic Crisp, Crimson Snow, Sweetango, Giga, Red Pop, Ambrosia, Enjoy, Morgana, Bonita and Tessa represent the new level. “This range of different varieties covers the entire spectrum from light to dark and sweet to sour.”
A total of 28,000 hectares of apple plantations make the Trentino-South Tyrol region Europe’s largest contiguous growing region. VOG Products processes and refines every fifth apple from the region.
“We know where the apples come from before they land in our safe, competent hands. Controlled, good raw goods are the indispensable basis for a safe, high-quality product,” said the director of VOG Products.
Today, the fruit processing company in the heart of the Dolomite Alps belongs to 18 cooperatives in South Tyrol and Trentino and 4 producer organisations with more than 13,000 members, most of which are small family operations that care for their apple orchards with love and devotion. A level of care that is decisive, particularly in the growing organic sector. By the way, South Tyrol is the only province outside of Germany with an active Bioland regional association.
“We put all our effort into continuing and supporting what began on the fields – thanks to processing that is monitored 24/7, innovative technologies, state-of-the-art methods of analysis and plants, and qualified staff,” said Tappeiner to summarise VOG Products’ mission.
The careful handling of raw goods and top-quality standards are priorities at VOG Products. To continue upholding these standards in future, the company has made significant investments in the modernisation of its production lines.
Each year, VOG Products processes and refines around 300,000 tonnes of raw goods. On the one hand, the fruit processing company established in 1967 builds upon the long fruit-growing tradition in the heart of the Dolomite Alps. That tradition is embraced and maintained by a total of 13,000 members who belong to 18 cooperatives in South Tyrol and Trentino and 4 producer organisations. On the other hand, VOG Products also consciously relies on innovation and advanced development – particularly when it comes to technical equipment.
In March 2020, two new production lines for fruit purée were commissioned on the 8-hectare company premises in Laives. They represent a significant portion of VOG Products’ concrete modernisation and development plan.
A fully automated plant for aseptic filling marked the beginning in May 2019. That was a key step in the effort to satisfy rising demand and at the same time, to bring the infrastructure up to date with the latest technology.
In September 2019, a new optical sorting system was installed in the low-temperature area. It guarantees maximum precision and quality to customers and ultimately, consumers.
The purée production modernisation completed in 2020 is the centrepiece of the extensive investment strategy, but not its final measure: by the beginning of 2021, the production line for fruit juice will also have been renewed. “That will mark our achievement of the fourth and last step of our current infrastructure modernisation strategy. Innovation and advanced development are and will remain major themes at VOG Products, however, because they are essential to our effort to continue satisfying the market’s increasingly rigorous requirements in future while meeting top quality standards”, said Christoph Tappeiner, CEO of VOG Products.
The commissioning of the two production lines for fruit purée was a key step in that direction. It increased the company’s capacity and VOG Products now has two separate lines, which happens to be a decisive characteristic for product safety in the processing of organic goods. And now the raw goods are inspected by the optical sorting system to guarantee the highest quality standards in the purée segment as well.
Further, raw goods are not handled in bulk at VOG Products. Instead, large boxes with a maximum mass of 300 kg are used exclusively. “After all: you need excellent raw goods to produce an excellent end product. Our 13,000 members – most of which are small family-run enterprises – ensure our excellent quality. They cultivate fruit with lots of passion, and we continue its processing in the same spirit: as much care as possible when handling the product and top quality standards are our main priorities. Our new, functional plants equipped with state-of-the-art technology fit perfectly into this philosophy,” confirmed Tappeiner.
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The careful handling of raw goods and top quality standards are priorities at VOG Products. To continue upholding these standards in future, the company has made significant investments in the modernisation of its production lines.
Each year, VOG Products processes and refines around 300,000 tonnes of raw goods. On the one hand, the fruit processing company established in 1967 builds upon the long fruit-growing tradition in the heart of the Dolomite Alps. That tradition is embraced and maintained by a total of 13,000 members who belong to 18 cooperatives in South Tyrol and Trentino and 4 producer organisations. On the other hand, VOG Products also consciously relies on innovation and advanced development – particularly when it comes to technical equipment.
Innovation at VOG Products
In March 2020, two new production lines for fruit purée were commissioned on the 8-hectare company premises in Laives. They represent a significant portion of VOG Products’ concrete modernisation and development plan.
A fully automated plant for aseptic filling marked the beginning in May 2019. That was a key step in the effort to satisfy rising demand and at the same time, to bring the infrastructure up to date with the latest technology.
In September 2019, a new optical sorting system was installed in the low-temperature area. It guarantees maximum precision and quality to customers and ultimately, consumers.
Johannes Runggaldier (l), Chairman of VOG Products & Christoph Tappeiner (r), General Manager
The purée production modernisation completed in 2020 is the centrepiece of the extensive investment strategy, but not its final measure: by the beginning of 2021, the production line for fruit juice will also have been renewed. “That will mark our achievement of the fourth and last step of our current infrastructure modernisation strategy. Innovation and advanced development are and will remain major themes at VOG Products, however, because they are essential to our effort to continue satisfying the market’s increasingly rigorous requirements in future while meeting top quality standards,” said Christoph Tappeiner, CEO of VOG Products.
The commissioning of the two production lines for fruit purée was a key step in that direction. It increased the company’s capacity and VOG Products now has two separate lines, which happens to be a decisive characteristic for product safety in the processing of organic goods. And now the raw goods are inspected by the optical sorting system to guarantee the highest quality standards in the purée segment as well.
Further, raw goods are not handled in bulk at VOG Products. Instead, large boxes with a maximum mass of 300 kg are used exclusively. “After all: you need excellent raw goods to produce an excellent end product. Our 13,000 members – most of which are small family-run enterprises – ensure our excellent quality. They cultivate fruit with lots of passion, and we continue its processing in the same spirit: as much care as possible when handling the product and top quality standards are our main priorities. Our new, functional plants equipped with state-of-the-art technology fit perfectly into this philosophy,” confirmed Tappeiner.
A two-stage cartridge filtration system delivers a long service life and easy operation for sterile filtration of clear NFC juice
VOG Products uses a two-stage filtration system with BECO PROTECT CS depth filter cartridges as a pre-filter and BECO MEMBRAN PS Pure membrane filter cartridges as a final filter for the sterile filtration of apple juice. This combination not only removes microorganisms and their spores but also enables a long service life with no colloid clogging in the membrane filter cartridges.
An increasing number of consumers prefer high quality products when buying juice. NFC juice (not-from-concentrate juice) is becoming particularly popular and its market share is continuously expanding. VOG Products has benefitted from this rise in demand. The company operates state-of-the-art tank storage with a capacity of over 2.6 million gallons (10 million liters) dedicated to the storage of NFC juice.