Why Should the Population Consume Certified and Organic Products?
The pandemic and social isolation further impacted a scenario already developing in Brazil: the demand for healthier foods, mostly organic, with certification and guaranteed origin
There was a time when consumers did not give due importance to the planting and harvesting of the inputs that generate the final products they buy. But, as everything evolves, the demand for healthier products with certificates of origin makes organic farming an increasingly viable and popular option.
Today, consumers seek not only organic products but also reliability and ethics. Proof of this is that, according to the Organic Promotion Association (Organis), in the first half of 2020, product sales grew by more than 40% in Brazil. Additionally, more than half of those surveyed are concerned about food quality (62.1%), and 46.6% report consuming organic products daily.
These rising numbers demonstrate that we are talking about a market that demands needs, opportunities, and, above all, innovation. What does this mean? That several other aspects are being valued by consumers, and the pursuit of quality is fundamental when referring to food, where control, monitoring, and standardization in production processes are essential. According to the Brazil Food Trends 2020 report, there is a strong trend toward consuming safe products with certified quality that convey greater trust to the customer.
These rising numbers demonstrate that we are talking about a market that demands needs, opportunities, and, above all, innovation. What does this mean? That several other aspects are being valued by consumers, and the pursuit of quality is fundamental when referring to food, where control, monitoring, and standardization in production processes are essential. According to the Brazil Food Trends 2020 report, there is a strong trend toward consuming safe products with certified quality that convey greater trust to the customer.
Also according to the Brazil Food Trends 2020 report, food trends are based on five pillars:
1. Sensory Experience and Pleasure
2. Healthiness and Well-being
3. Convenience and Practicality
4. Reliability and Quality
5. Sustainability and Ethics. For this reason, Concepta, which for over 20 years has had Environmental, Social, and Corporate Governance as a business strategy, understands how important this market niche is to accelerate global progress.
To operate in the healthy and organic products market, it is necessary to comply with a series of guidelines regarding the cultivation and sale of these foods. Certification is one of them.
The organic system, for example, unlike conventional farming, prioritizes sustainability and environmental conservation, also taking social well-being into account. Therefore, organic products are those obtained within a sustainable agro-extractive production system. This system benefits the local ecosystem, protects natural resources, respects the socioeconomic and cultural characteristics of the community, preserves the rights of the workers involved, and does not use genetically modified organisms or synthetic chemicals, following organic rules at all stages of production.
In Brazil, also known as the green seal, organic product certification is the procedure that ensures that a given product, process, or service complies with the norms and practices of organic production. Thus, it guarantees the entrepreneur a market differential and the consumer food quality by certifying reliability and origin. To meet this demand, Concepta maintains its certifications current – both product certifications (organic and kosher) and management system certification (FSSC 22000).
In Brazil, also known as the green seal, organic product certification is the procedure that ensures that a given product, process, or service complies with the norms and practices of organic production. Thus, it guarantees the entrepreneur a market differential and the consumer food quality by certifying reliability and origin. To meet this demand, Concepta maintains its certifications current – both product certifications (organic and kosher) and management system certification (FSSC 22000).
Today, the company is considered one of the main suppliers of natural and organic ingredients: in partnership with communities and cooperatives, they total approximately 2 million hectares of organic cultivation under conservation, comprising 1% of the Caatinga, 2% of the Cerrado, and 97% of the Amazon.
Its inputs transform elements of nature into standardized ingredients, qualified for use in the food industry, and its production process also adds value to the communities supplying these ingredients, who sustainably extract these natural riches.
In Brazil, Organic products are regulated by Law No. 10,831/2003, and obviously, regulations vary according to markets. The three main ones are: BR (national market), EOS-CE (European Union), and USDA-NOP (United States).
Concepta Ingredients and the FSSC 22000 Certification
Created to encourage consistency in food safety standards, the FSSC 22000 certification recognizes Concepta as a company that guarantees the safety and quality of its products in the food industry.
The term FSSC 22000 stands for Food Safety System Certification, which means monitoring and ensuring the safe and quality production and distribution of food, valid for perishable animal-origin products; perishable plant-origin products; long shelf-life products at room temperature; food ingredients (except technological and technical additives); animal feed and pet food; and food packaging.
This is an internationally recognized certification approved by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), a non-profit entity working to advance food safety and supported by the Confederation of the Food and Drink Industries of the EU (CIAA). Its advantages include: providing more organized and objective communication among employees, suppliers, customers, and consumers; optimizing resources and processes while reducing business risks; helping companies manage food safety throughout the production chain by establishing and improving control; and finally, the certificate offers greater consumer confidence due to the relevance of this document.
Concepta Ingredients is Kosher Certified by BDK Brazil
All food consumed by the Jewish population must be Kosher. Over the years, this audience has expanded, and today, vegetarians, vegans, and lactose-intolerant people have also sought certification. With this in mind, Concepta Ingredients, which offers a vast portfolio of ingredients, is also able to serve consumers seeking ingredients with quality, proven traceability, and Kosher certification. The certification was granted through BDK Brazil, allowing expansion of its markets, especially exports.
“We must work hard to unite innovation, quality, health, and sustainability to achieve customer satisfaction, meeting their needs and expectations. Because of this, a food certification seal provides the consumer with more than just the guarantee of bringing home a quality product; it also ensures traceability in the supply chain by providing ingredients with greater healthiness and sustainability,” concludes Lilia Kawazoe, Commercial Manager at Concepta Ingredients.
About Concepta Ingredients
Concepta Ingredients is part of the Sabará Group and specializes in natural and technological solutions developed according to the Sociobiodiversity Valorization Program. Based on innovation and research, the company offers organic and exotic ingredients, supported by the training of families and conservation of environmentally at-risk areas in different Brazilian biomes. Its vast portfolio includes technological inputs from international partners and ingredients from Brazilian biodiversity to meet the most specific demands of the industries in which it operates.
