February 4, 2020 marked the 100th birthday of bakery, patisserie and chocolate leader Puratos. A milestone that will be celebrated by its 9,500 employees across 70 countries where the group is present. The group looks forward to the next 100 years with a strong commitment to you and future generations, as well as a continued focus on innovation, health and well-being.
Commenting on this important milestone for the group, Puratos CEO Daniel Malcorps said: “Our centenary is an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to our vision and our values: a robust scientific approach, a constant quest for innovation, with health and well-being as a cornerstone and a deep-rooted belief in the valuable role that food plays in society.”
Innovation is in Puratos’s DNA
For a century, Puratos has been committed to innovation. The family company, which started in a Belgian garage with the vision of simplifying the lives of bakers and confectioners, has become one of the world’s leading ingredients manufacturers. . Today, Puratos invests 2.7% of its annual turnover in R&D and the group employs more than 1,000 scientists in over 70 R&D centers and 90 innovation centers across the globe.
Health and well-being have always been a top priority
Puratos has always been a trailblazer in health and well-being, even as early as the 1920s when the group launched its Pura-Malté bread. Today, this commitment remains as relevant as ever. Taste Tomorrow, the world’s largest consumer survey in bakery, patisserie and chocolate, confirms that health is still one of the key criteria for consumers when buying baked goods. Health and well-being continue to be the priority in Puratos’s product development processes.
100 years of passion and expansion
As early as 1955, Puratos was setting its sights on international expansion when the group began exporting its products to neighbouring countries. Today, over 90% of the group’s turnover is generated outside Belgium, of which nearly one third is produced in emerging markets.
What about the next 100 years?
Sustainability: The Cacao-Trace Program
An example of Puratos’s commitment to sustainability is its game- changing approach to the responsible sourcing of cocoa. Unlike other cocoa sustainability programs, Puratos Cacao-Trace focuses on quality rather than quantity. Through Cacao-Trace, Puratos helps farmers deliver cocoa beans of superior quality, which in turn earn them extra revenue.
Community: bakery schools that bring hope to underprivileged youngsters
Today, the Bakery School Foundation has already invested in bakery schools in India, Brazil, Mexico and South Africa. By 2030, the Bakery School Foundation aspires to continuously enable 1,000 young people from developing countries to live their passion in one of the Puratos bakery schools.
Puratos CEO Daniel Malcorps concluded: “We are already looking at the next 100 years in terms of innovation, sustainability and expansion. We have already achieved a 2 billion euros turnover and we aim to reach 5 billion by 2030. This will be possible thanks to having the right people at all levels of the company, from employees to board members.”
