“We, as Zeelandia Türkiye, plan to grow three fold and be a leading company in Turkish food ingredients sector in the next 5 years. Additionally, we intend to play a role in the development of pastry and bakery in Turkey. We also enhance the overseas activities covering Iraq, Iran and Syria.”

This month BBM Magazine’s guest is Ertuğrul İşler, General Manager of Zeelandia Türkiye. Playing a significant role in the development of pastry and bakery sector through the innovative products and marketing methods with an experience of more than one hundred years, Zeelandia is carrying out production at its 19 factories established in 29 countries. Doing business in over one hundred countries and entering the Turkish market in 2003 through the Hayrabolu facility, Zeelandia has been playing an important role in the development of the worldwide pastry and bakery industry.

Stating that Zeelandia Türkiye, established in partnership with Doruk Group, is planning to introduce 3 special bread mixes in the near future, Mr. İşler has pointed out that the firm will focus on the liquid products like cold and warm jellies and fruit fillings in the pastry portfolio as well as the breads with extensive sour yeast content. Pointing out that Zeelandia is planning to grow three folds and be a leading firm in the Turkish food ingredients sector in the next 5 years to come, Ertuğrul İşler has mentioned the share, targets and future of the company worldwide and in Turkey.

Mr. İşler, could you first of all give us information about Zeelandia? What is the Netherland-based Zeelandia and what does it do? Zeelandia which is a family company based in the Netherlands is engaged in production with its 19 factories in 29 countries and it is doing business in over 100 countries. Established in 1900, the company has been playing a significant role in the development of pastry and bakery through its creative products and marketing methods with an experience of more than one hundred years. Starting production by establishing its own facilities in 2003 in Hayrabolu, Zeelandia Türkiye has 3 categories of product range including bakery, pastry and release agents.

Could you please mention Zeelandia’s role in the product assortment for bakery and pastry sector? With which one of your products and how do you support the worldwide professional pastry and bakery industry? Zeelandia globally supplies professional pastry and bakery producers with the customized products and supports the customers’ final product demands through its R&D activities and sales team. Our firm provides support to the pastry and bakery sector with sponge cake mixes, cake mixes, almond products, pastry decoration products, powder whipped cream, fruit fillings, filling creams, cold and hot jellies, bread mixes, bread improvers, decorations and auxiliary materials and release agents. As Zeelandia, we are consistently renewing our products and services in accordance with the developing technology and changing consumer preferences.

What can you say about the share and role of Zeelandia’s worldwide bakery and pastry market? In how many countries does Zeelandia have business operations and how does it work? Increasing its share and turnover in the food additives market in the last 10 years, Zeelandia has become one of the most significant players in the market. We offer local solutions to the various worldwide bakery and pastry markets by using our global raw material procurement power and our R&D capabilities. We provide services to the industrial food producers with release agents and equipment.

As far as we are concerned, Zeelandia entered the Turkey market in 2002 and started production by establishing its own factory in 2003. Could you mention about the Zeelandia’s structuring in the Turkey market? Zeelandia was established in 2003 in Turkey in partnership with Doruk Group. As of May of 2015, the investment plans accelerated with Zeelandia’s purchasing all the partnership shares. At the end of 2016, we are going to enlarge our existing product portfolio with the new liquid investment and sauces, jellies and fruit fillings.

What can you tell us about Zeelandia’s view, expectations and future targets regarding the Turkey market? Where does Zeelandia Türkiye wish to stand in the years to come? We, as Zeelandia Türkiye, plan to grow three fold and be a leading company in the Turkish food ingredients sector in the next 5 years to come. Additionally, we intend to play a role in the development of pastry and bakery in Turkey. We also enhance the overseas activities covering Iraq, Iran and Syria.

What products do you produce in your factory in Turkey? Could you give us some information about the Zeelandia Türkiye’s product portfolio, specifications and distinguishing aspects of the products? Bread mixes, sponge cake mixes, cake mixes, almond products, powder whipped cream, powder cream and functional confectionery products and in particular powder products are manufactured at the Zeelandia Türkiye’s factory. With the investment in the new liquid line, we are going to produce sauces, jellies and fruit fillings as of December of 2016.

Zeelandia Türkiye’s bakery category includes bread mixes, bread premixes, bakery products, malt products, sour dough products, bread developers and decoration products and its pastry category includes sponge cake mix, cake mix, almond products, pastry decoration products, liquid and dust whipped, creams, and jellies. In the liquid category are the fruit fillings and filling creams. The third category product is the release agents. We provide machinery and lubricating services to the industrial customers.

There are three pastry creams including Creme Bourbonessa, Carusto and Quattro. Creme Bourbonessa is different from other pastry creams in that it includes natural vanilla bourbon particles. In the powder whipped cream category are the liquid and powder creams. In the liquid whipped cream category are pasteurized vegetable liquids used for various purposes including coating, fruit salads, puddings, ice cream, decoration, confectionery and edible cream (baking). The powder whipped creams representing the second group of the whipped cream portfolio have a high water absorption capacity. In Zeeland’s health portfolio are Vikorn and Prokorn with vitamins and fiber bread mixes necessary for the bone and joints development.

Are all the products you provide to the domestic market produced at the factory here? Are products sent here from Zeelandia’s factories in other countries or do you send products from Turkey to other countries? While Zeelandia Türkiye produces most of its products in its own factories, it offers new solutions to its customers by procuring the products from its facilities from all over the world.

What can you say about your share in Turkey market? What can you tell us about the customer base you have reached and the approaches of these customers towards Zeelandia? Having completed its restructuring process, Zeelandia Türkiye is enlarging its market share in the sector with each passing day. We are planning to be among the first 3 companies in the food additives sector in the next 5 years to come. Our customer portfolio includes artisan pastries and bakeries with standard and customized products and hotels with bakery products and dough cake producers, industrial bread and cake producers.

What are the reasons why the Turkish firms engaged in bakery prefer Zeelandia and its products? What kind of services do you provide your customers and what do you promise? Zeelandia is differentiated with its R&D power. Our R&D activities cover the general practices in Turkey and the adaptation of the suitable products and applications in the world. In line with our R&D activities, we have the opportunity to produced customized products for our customers.

Can you give us information about, if any, innovations you have introduced to the market lately? We, as Zeelandia Türkiye, are planning to introduce 3 special bread mixes in the near future. As well as the breads that are rich in sour yeast, we will concentrate on the liquid products including first of all cold and hot jellies and fruit fillings as of the end of the year.

What would you like to add lastly? The bakery and pastry sectors in Turkey are rapidly developing. Aiming to integrating the differentiated consumer expectations into the changing production companies, Zeelandia will continue unabated to offer value-added products through the international mastery experience, production technology and R&D activities. We stand ready to develop projects together with our customers to develop new products and increase productivity of the bakery and pastry producers.