Italy's supply sector highly regarded at Food Expo Greece 2024

The 10th edition of Food Expo Greece, the event dedicated to the food and beverage sector, took place from 9 to 11 March 2024 at the Metropolitan Expo Exhibition Centre in Athens. Food Expo Greece is the reference platform for the international food industry and a meeting point for more than 75,000 professionals in the sector. It meets the demand for food and beverages in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Balkans and attracts thousands of professionals from the large retail, wholesale, food industry and catering sectors every year.

In the picture is Rossella Spatola, a young entrepreneur and the owner of the Italian company Teorema Mediterraneo

"One of the most important shows in Greece was well attended by both professionals and buyers. There were clear signs of recovery in the market, which is looking to expand in countries that are known for quality food and drink. Our presence in Athens represents an important step towards internationalization and further consolidation in the markets surrounding the Balkans, with the aim of establishing new business partnerships. The Italian supply chain, the origin and the quality of our products are highly appreciated," says Rossella Spatola, young entrepreneur and owner of Teorema Mediterraneo.

Teorema Mediterraneo was born from the founder's experience in the family business specialized in drying fruit and vegetables. The brand produces several lines, including dried vegetable mixes for pasta, ready-made risottos, spices and herbs, kits and gift boxes, spreads, jams and creams, seeds and berries, herbal teas and infusions. Processed products are manufactured in a dedicated area of the factory, including the full range of dried pasta sauces, ready-made risottos, seasonings, spices and herbs. Processed products under the Genigià brand, including 100% natural vegetable creams, fruit extracts and jams made from fresh seasonal vegetables, without preservatives and only sterilized, are produced in a separate but adjacent area.

In addition to the range of citrus jams and preserves, Teorema Mediterraneo's flagship products include dehydrated spices, ideal for seasoning pasta dishes. This is a market segment that has grown enormously in recent years, both in Italy and abroad, due to the fast-paced lifestyles of today's society.

Rossella Spatola explains: "The new lines of dehydrated tomatoes and 100% Italian pumpkin that we launched for the Christmas holidays are doing very well. These two new products only need the addition of lukewarm water to become tasty soups that are easy to prepare and have the added value of being fresh, as if they had just been picked in the field. The advantage of dried vegetables is that, as they contain no water, they not only have a lower bacterial load, but once rehydrated, they retain their original properties. And above all, you can have vegetables all year round, even for products that normally have a seasonal lifecycle."

'Fruits and Spices' is Teorema Mediterraneo's line of sweet preserves in 7 flavors: Orange and Cinnamon, Orange and Chia Seed, Lemon and Mint, Lemon and Ginger, available in a 220-gram glass jar. The new line of artisanal creams comes in Pistachio, Hazelnut, Milk and Hazelnut, Lemon, Dark, White Chocolate, Peanut Butter and Coconut flavours. No pectin or preservatives are used. Only freshly processed fruit, lemon juice, spices and/or vegetables and sugar are used.

"In this special historical period, marked by the scarcity of raw materials, it is very difficult to focus on the quality of every single component, because it affects the entire production chain. For this reason, it has sometimes happened that, out of real necessity, we have been forced to modify/change recipes in order to work with a 100% Italian product."

In addition to sales in the USA, Teorema is growing in the domestic market and abroad in Belgium, Germany and Switzerland. Third party sales account for 10% of production in Italy, while another growing channel is the online market, especially B2B platforms that sell directly to small shops in Europe.