lactalis is a multi-national dairy products corporation , owned by the besnier family and based in laval , mayenne , france .

it is the largest dairy products group in the world , and is the second largest food products group in france , behind danone .

it owns brands such as galbani , société , bridel , président , rachel 's organic and valmont .

lactalis

lactalis united kingdom ; lactalis europe du nord ; lactalis deutschland ; lactalis iberia ; lactalis locatelli ; lactalis luxembourg ; lactalis portugal ; lactalis polska ; lactalis ukraine ; lactalis vostok ; lactalis usa ; sorrento lactalis .
in 2015 , the lactalis group reach a turnover of 17 billions of euros .
nestlé , lactalis making deals ,
dairy foods , january 1 , 2006 .
lactalis american group is the north american division of the world’s largest dairy corporation and is the parent company of sorrento lactalis , lactalis usa , and mozzarella fresca , which collectively include some of north america ' s most popular cheese brands : président , sorrento , precious , rondelé , and galbani . lactalis american group is a subsidiary of parmalat s . p . a . , an italian public entity majority - owned by groupe lactalis . headquartered in france , groupe lactalis is the world ' s largest dairy corporation .
©2014 lactalis american group , inc . all rights reserved . galbani is a ® of s . p . a . egidio galbani . | president is a ® of lactalis deli , inc . | sorrento & precious is a ® of lactalis retail dairy , inc .
groupe lactalis acquires the mclelland group ,
gourmet retailer , january 27 , 2005 .
groupe lactalis ,
wall street journal , january 16 , 2006 , p . a12 .
lactalis nestle chilled dairy , rachel ' s dairy , and the lactalis mclelland group of companies which includes the caledonian cheese company , mclelland cheese packing , the fresh milk company and lubborn cheese .
the lactalis uk corporate office is based in redhill , surrey , where the commercial and support operations for both lactalis mclelland and lactalis nestle chilled dairy work closely together , united in the same ambition to create the highest quality dairy products and bring them to the broadest range of consumers throughout the uk .
separation of lactalis feed ( milk replacers eurovo and lactapro ) and tendriade ( veal meat ) activities .
lactalis has agreed to acquire turkish dairy producer ak gıda from the country’s largest food company , yıldız holding .
lactalis becomes number two in the uk cheddar market . as a part of international policy , “lactalis” strengthens its position in italy , scotland , poland , and enters the middle east market - egypt , saudi arabia .
french dairy major lactalis enters indian cheese market ,
indian business insight , january 9 , 2004 .
in march , lactalis lost a lengthy bidding war with pioneers holding to acquire egyptian cheese maker arab dairy .
besnier changes name to groupe lactalis , expands in us ,
les echos , january 12 , 1999 .
french cheese maker lactalis aims to expand sales in japan ,
asia pulse , march 14 , 2005 .
french dairy giant lactalis has agreed to acquire an 80 % stake in turkish dairy ak gida for an undisclosed amount .
# lactalis dans le cadre de mes responsabilités de rapporteur de la commission d’enquête lactalis , je publierai le rapport le 18 juillet lors d’une conférence de presse aux côtés de @ christianhutin président de la commission . nous avons beaucoup travaillé . urltoken
discover lactalis recruitment process , its tailor - made induction path and the importance of internal mobility in the group hr policy .
instead , the notice continued ,  a share sale had been agreed with lactalis , the world ' s third largest dairy .
lactalis spokesperson , nalet , dismissed the suggestion the french dairy ' s attempts to acquire arab dairy and ak gida are linked .
lactalis became the world n . 1 on the dairy market , after the adquisition of 83 , 3 % of parmalat , italian dairy leader . based in countries where lactalis has few activity , this operation of external growth will open unprecedented opportunities for development .
07 / 04 / 20005 - 20180704artfig00311 - les - pistes - pour - eviter - un - nouveau - scandale - lactalis . php
above all in france but also in italy , lactalis group is actively involved in promoting protected name cheeses as well as regional specialities .
takeover of galbani , cheese market leader in italy . this turns lactalis into the world ' s second - largest cheese company . the lactalis and nestle groups have decided to create a common fresh dairy product subsidiary in europe , called lactalis nestle produits frais ( lnpf ) , which will cover nine european countries : france , belgium , luxembourg , the uk , ireland , spain , italy , portugal and switzerland .
groupe lactalis is a french company that specialises in dairy products . the company have more than 230 industrial plants spread over 40 countries . under a range of different brands the company mainly produce cheese , milk , cream , butter , and milk powder . lactalis claim to be the largest dairy group in the world , and the number one cheese group in europe . groupe lactalis use palm oil in their products .
lactalis has a strong presence in the uk through several companies and imports and exports many famous brands within all categories of the dairy sector .
the vocation of lactalis ingredients has been to transform whey and milk in a broad range of ingredients for its customers in the food industry .
created in 1933 by andré besnier in laval , the lactalis group has remained faithful to its original commitment to dairy processing for three generations .
a major player of the global dairy industry , lactalis group contributes to the development of local economies of the regions where it is present .
the lactalis group thus fulfils its role as dairy market leader by supporting both leading national brands as well as its local and regional assets .
in 2012 , lactalis added skånemejerier in sweden to its line - up in dairy and acquired ljubljanske mlekarne in slovenia in 2013 , reinforcing its presence in europe . in brazil , lactalis purchased balkis . in 2014 , the french company bought tirumala in india , marking its first major acquisition in asia pacific . in 2014 , lactalis acquired the harvey fresh dairy company in australia , producing both dairy and juice products . some of the acquired companies already had juices in their product lines prior to the deal , meaning lactalis would inherit them and continue the juices businesses .
since 1933 , lactalis ' s vocation has been to transform milk in all its forms . this mission translates a strong commitment the dairy industry .
the vocation of lactalis group has been to transform milk in all its forms and to offer the best dairy products to the broadest range of consumers .
group
lactalis» ( groupe lactalis ) signed an agreement with llc
molochniy dim
(
fanni
) on acquisition of shares . llc
molochniy dim
- dairy company that manufactures products under the brand
fanny .
the company owns pavlograd dairy plant , also has 11 own branches in ukraine .
all year long , the lactalis group takes part to numerous forums & events organized by the schools with whom it has signed a partnership . save the dates .
this is a country lactalis is not present in . we would be very happy to have a presence in this very important market ,
nalet added .
in 2009 , lubborn cheese limited was integrated into the lactalis mclelland group , and has since become the largest producer of soft cheese in the uk , including brie and goats cheese .
the lactalis group draws its success from a local - produce orientated strategy that is respectful of people and the environment , while maintaining high sanitary and organoleptic standards for all its products .
if approved by the turkish competition authority , the french dairy will assume control of an 80 % stake in ak gida , michel nalet , spokesperson , lactalis , told dairyreporter . com .
families have been welcoming lactalis cheese into their homes for nearly 100 years . and so we proudly welcome you to ours . come on in and discover just what we ' re made of .
it ' s a great opportunity for lactalis to enter a big milk market ,
 said nalet .
it ' s a country with a great deal of dairy tradition .

agreement with api , an american investment fund , to purchase the shares of foodmaster international , a company that operates in kazakhstan , ukraine and moldova . this strengthens lactalis ' position in the cis .
owing to a global presence , the lactalis group has always been able to anticipate new market trends and adapt to production and consumption modes , whilst appreciating the local and cultural specificities of each country .
4 feb 2010 - - - french dairy group lactalis has announced the acquisition of spanish cheese maker forlasa . the terms of the deal were not disclosed . the move expands lactalis ' operations in the spanish market where it currently has seven production facilities and generates sales of eur600mn . forlasa has a turnover of eur130mn and markets a variety of spanish cheeses under the brand names gran capitan , don bernardo and ventero . the move is part of ongoing consolidation in the european dairy sector and comes after lactalis announced it was interested in acquiring the dairy assets of ebro puleva , which wishes to exit the sector .
turkey’s largest food group , yıldız holding , has sold its ak gıda dairy unit to french food giant groupe lactalis after an intended initial public offering ( ipo ) was canceled , the company has announced .
the proposed acquisition of ak gida , which manufactures a wide range of dairy products including uht milk , yogurt , feta and cheddar cheese , would see lactalis take its first steps in the turkish dairy sector .
in the uk , lactalis has manufacturing sites in stranraer , aberystwyth and lubborn , and in each area we are one of the major employers , with an important role to play in the local economy and community .
groupe lactalis ' s actions over the past several years left it in an enviable position among its competitors . indeed , the company claimed that every second , seven president brand products were sold somewhere in the world . by this time , groupe lactalis ' s annual cows ' milk collection was more than 6 . 9 billion liters , including 2 . 2 billion liters processed outside of france . the company also processed 160 million liters of sheeps ' milk and 55 million liters of goats ' milk . from this , groupe lactalis produced 275 million gallons of fluid milk , 310 million pounds of butter , 1 . 25 million pounds of cheese ( including 190 , 000 tons outside of france ) , and 627 million pounds of fresh dairy products , including cream and yogurt . with sales of euro 5 . 5 billion , groupe lactalis appeared to be on track for success in the years to come .
in 2005 , lactalis purchased a . mclelland and son limited ; a scottish based cheese manufacturer with a factory in stranraer , which included the caledonian cheese company and mclelland cheese packing , and whose portfolio included the seriously strong brand . this acquisition included a shareholding in the orkney cheese company and dairy solutions . at the same time , the groupe purchased the italian galbani business and lactalis uk took over responsibility for the galbani business here in the uk .
tion / lait - infantile - contamine / lactalis - l - usine - de - craon - a - nouveau - autorisee - a - produire - du - lait - infantile _ 2833925 . html # xtor = cs1 - 747
yıldız holding cfo cem karakaş said in a tweet that some 80 percent of ak gıda’s stakes were sold to lactalis , while yıldız’s stakes in the company will decrease to 10 percent from 33 percent after the deal with the french company .
in 2006 , a joint venture was created between the lactalis groupe and nestle , covering 9 european countries , and lactalis nestle chilled dairy was established in the uk . this newly formed business has a well - known portfolio of yogurts , including ski , the first yogurt launched in the uk in 1965 and munch bunch . the range of products also included a variety of chilled desserts based on the nestle confectionary brands , which today include aero , milky bar , smarties , yorkie and rolo .
its range of products has grown considerably ( cheeses , milk , cream , butter , ultra - fresh , milk powder , etc . ) , as has the reputation of its products . lactalis now owns a series of prestigious french and international brands .
newcast will be responsible for digital creation and social content across multiple platforms , and will also continue their current remit of creating and developing the right media partnerships for lactalis brands in the uk , starting with projects for seriously strong , president and galbani .
lactalis is to invest a further €3 million in its brittany operations . the money will be spent on its l ' hermitage site and follows a $ 15m investment at vitré , announced in march ( dm no 939 , 13 . 03 . 2008 ) .
according to local news reports , lactalis , the world ' s second - largest dairy group and europe ' s leading cheese maker , is to transfer its french fromage frais operations from the nicolait plant in sarrebourg to lisieux by the end of the year .
because lactalis understands the power of food to connect people , unite cultures and enrich daily life , we stand today as one of the world ' s leading producers of cheese for almost every eating occasion . great cheese is who we are , pure and simple .
as part of its policy to focus on international markets , besnier announced it would adopt the groupe lactalis corporate moniker in early 1999 . the company stressed that the new name was easy to pronounce in all languages and reflected its dedication to milk and dairy products .
lactalis is to invest a further €3 million in its brittany operations . the money will be spent on its l ' hermitage site and follows a €15m investment at vitré , announced in march ( see dm , no 939 , 13 . 03 . 08 , p12 ) .
because lactalis understands the power of food to connect people , unite cultures and enrich daily life , we stand today as one of the world ' s leading producers of healthy , convenient cheese for almost every eating occasion . great cheese is who we are , pure and simple .
lactalis stands out thanks to its ambitious , innovative strategy based on a commitment to large - scale milk processing in all its forms . that is the key principle of the groupe , which has built up considerable expertise over the years , processing milk in accordance with local dairy traditions .
in 1993 , the uk became part of a network of commercial subsidiaries created to develop sales for the products and brands outside its core french market . established in south london , lactalis in the uk has continued to prosper through developing sales of all group products in the local market .
lactalis imports and exports many famous brands within all categories of the dairy sector , including milk , butter , cheese , yogurts and chilled desserts , as well as manufacturing some true british favourites and award winning products , including seriously strong cheddar , capricorn goats cheese and rachel ' s yogurts .
groupe lactalis was listed in 2014 as the world’s 15th largest food firm . ak gıda had sales of 2 . 04 billion turkish liras in 2014 , up 16 . 7 percent from the previous year . its exports last year amounted to 84 . 7 million liras , mostly to middle eastern countries .
in march , we reported that two of lactalis’ businesses were ordered to pay more than €60m for their role in a so - called “yogurt cartel” that engaged in widespread price fixing in france – by far the largest amount of an overall €190m’s worth of fines handed out by the country’s competition authority .
in 1933 , andré besnier started up his cheese - making company . on the first day he collected 17 litres of milk and produced 35 camemberts : the besnier company was in business . since then , the group , which adopted the more international name of lactalis in 1999 , has continued to expand rapidly .
outside of france , this commitment to promoting local produce is illustrated by the group’s appreciation of native food cultures and local consumption modes . this provides lactalis group with a unique position to better promote as much traditional cheeses and dairy products as possible , like twarog , an ancestral speciality cheese from eastern european countries .
cheese production : 100 , 000 tons . the company becomes a leader in butter production in france . the second largest company in country - tm lactel - became the property of the lactalis group . turnover outside country : 1 . 5 billion french francs , while the total production of milk - 450 million tons .
as the 15th largest agri - food group worldwide , lactalis has 192 industrial sites around the world and a workforce of 61 , 000 . in 2013 , dairy accounted for over 90 % of the company’s packaged food value sales , with dairy also providing the foundation for the company’s presence in the oils and fats and baby food categories . according to the company’s corporate website , cheese is the core category , contributing 34 % , and soft drinks is apparently included in the “other” division , accounting for 7 % of the group’s turnover . as a private family - run company , lactalis disclosed little financial information and corporate strategy in the public domain .
the group opens its first processed cheese factory in russia . lactalis collects a total of 6 . 9 billion litres of milk . turnover is 5 . 5 billion euros , which makes it number one in france and number two in europe . the president brand is distributed in 128 countries and covers the entire range of dairy produce .
à la une du dl sud - # isère , édition
de # saintmarcellin à la # bièvre
ce lundi 9 juillet . # lactalis # pollution # fusion # commune # gensduvoyage # accueil # schéma # urbanisme # habitat # macron # congrès # versailles # parlement # politique # gauche # tourdefrance2018 # noyade # enfants # chalon urltoken
in western europe , lactalis saw its juice sales decline in italy , with off - trade value sales down by around 20 % in 2011 - 2013 , partly affected by the economic slowdown . going forward , italian consumers will prefer organic 100 % juice and organic nectars . despite these types of products being sold at premium prices , due to their more natural composition , consumers appreciate these types of drinks . organic products have good potential for growth , as the flavour variety is still limited as of today . innovation is particularly orientated towards introducing new flavours and formats that can widen the consumption occasions . thus , lactalis may need to consider widening its product portfolios and launching premium juices .
in 2010 , lactalis acquired rachel ' s dairy limited , who are the number two brand in the uk for organic yogurts , and the number one in the uk for organic flavoured big pot yogurts . rachel ' s became fully integrated into the groupe in 2012 , and their manufacturing facility is based in aberystwyth on the mid - wales coast .
lactalis has been making incremental gains in both market share and ranking in australia’s packaged food market since 2011 , with off - trade value sales reaching us $ 1 . 2 billion . with its prominent position in packaged food , the company may well leverage the existing food facilities to develop harvey fresh’s juices business and gradually grab share from existing juice companies .
, buffalo , ny 14220 . galbani is a ® of egidio galbani s . r . l . président is a ® of b . s . a . parmalat is a ® of parmalat s . p . a . black diamond is a ® of parmalat canada , inc . sorrento is a ® of lactalis american group , inc . all rights reserved .
heloise le norcy - trott uk group marketing director at lactalis , commented : “newcast plugs the gap that is missing between media and digital agencies , and demonstrated its ability to create innovative integrated strategies to drive return on investment . the capability of newcast to produce engaging creative combined with collaborative media partnerships means the agency can be a true strategic partner to the business . ”
lactalis , the brand owner of president , grew sales of juices internationally thanks to a string of acquisitions in dairy . it ranks third in the global dairy market , after danone and nestlé . the acquisition of parmalat in 2011 made the privately - owned french company a major player in juices in a few countries . euromonitor international’s data show that lactalis registered off - trade value shares in soft drinks in 13 markets across europe , the americas and africa , and it just needs to expand into asia and the middle east to make itself a truly global juice player . in 2011 - 2013 , the company outpaced the global soft drinks market , having achieved a net sales increase of us $ 150 million . the lactalis off - trade sales of soft drinks amounted to us $ 947 million in 2013 , ranking it 19th in juices and 44th in soft drinks globally . this is good progress for a company that is essentially a dairy company with no focus on soft drinks . as the company is continuously expanding its dairy businesses , its juices sales are expected to grow as a sideline thanks to the opportunity of leveraging its dairy facilities .
at least , that’s our belief at lactalis american group . we ' re passionate about serving up great cheese , and we know you are too . you want to make the most of every moment with your loved ones . you look for delicious , nutritious food that you can easily make at home . you won ' t settle for anything less than exceptional quality and taste .
as the largest privately held dairy in europe , groupe lactalis entered the new millennium on solid ground . in 2002 , it purchased the remaining shares of the bel group of soft cheeses . the following year , it added kraft foods inc . ' s invernizzi cheese operations in italy to its holdings . during the latter half of 2004 , groupe lactalis purchased a total of six companies in the ukraine , moldavia , kazakhstan , spain , italy , the united kingdom , the united states , and poland . included in these deals was the mclelland group , the third largest cheese company based in the united kingdom , and u . s . - based rondele gourmet cheese . italy ' s edigio galbani s . p . a . was purchased in early 2006 .
the value of the transaction remains undisclosed , though the sale appears to represent a significant change of direction for yıldız . the company was today expected to announce an initial public offering of ak gıda – a reported $ 118 . 4m’s worth of shares at between $ 2 . 14 and $ 2 . 56 per share , amounting to 45 % of the overall company – before news broke of lactalis’ acquisition yesterday evening .
today , lactalis is a global leader within the dairy industry and is present across all the categories of this market . the group is the number one cheese manufacturer in the world , and the european leader within the milk consumption , butter and cream markets . it is also a major player in the chilled dairy and dairy ingredients categories , as well as the foodservice industry , and a growing player within clinical and infant nutrition markets .
while it continued to make strategic purchases , the company also eyed entering new markets as crucial to its future success . in early 2004 , groupe lactalis began importing and distributing its president and bridel brands throughout india , including delhi , mumbai , chennai , bangalore , kolkata , goa , and pondicherry . it also entered the japanese consumer market in 2005 by selling its president brand in department stores and upscale supermarkets . in 2006 the company announced a partnership with nestlé to manufacture and market a line of yogurts and chilled desserts in europe .
euromonitor international data show that juices accounted for around 70 % of soft drinks value sales at lactalis in 2013 , with venezuela , italy and russia being key markets , and it managed to grow its juice sales by nearly 20 % in 2011 - 2013 . other soft drinks products include rtd tea , liquid concentrates and rtd coffee . there are different opportunities and challenges for the company in these core markets . its international juice brand santàl has prominent positions in venezuela and italy and a good position in russia , while its frica brand ranks second in venezuela’s juice market .
in brief , juices is a growth revenue stream for the french dairy giant and the company is consciously developing the business alongside its dairy acquisitions . the nature and image of juices fit well with the health and wellness consumption trend and also match its corporate marketing message of “nutrition and pleasure” . it is not uncommon for a packaged food company to expand into juices . heinz , for example , leads australia’s juice category , underpinned by the golden circle family brand . however , taking into account all the challenges and opportunities , lactalis still has plenty of work to do in juices .
since 1842 , roquefort cheese has been associated with the name société which then represented fifteen cheese merchants and producers in the town of roquefort . after attracting a growing number of producers , it took the name
société des caves et producteurs réunis de roquefort
called
société des caves
. in 1992 it joined the lactalis group , thus reinforcing the group ' s place as leader in aoc cheeses . société now represents about 65 % of the production of roquefort .
société des caves
is the uncontested specialist in sheep ' s milk cheeses , whose range has been considerably enlarged with brands such as salakis , istara , and lou pérac .
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urltoken
there are over 607 branded products available in the uk , a selection of which are shown below . click on product to find out about the range and the company behind it .
in a notice posted on the public disclosure platform of the turkish capital markets board , yildiz holding and other ak gida shareholders announced a planned initial public offering ( ipo ) of shares on the borsa istanbul ( bist ) stock exchange had been cancelled .
in 2014 , turkish dairy sales totalled us $ 3 . 989bn , according to euromonitor data . with sales of us $ 1 . 868bn and us $ 1 . 053bn respectively , cheese and yogurt and sour milk products ( presumably laban ) accounted for almost 75 % of this total .
euromonitor forecasts total turkish dairy sales to increase to us $ 5 . 534bn by 2019 .
yıldız holding still has a 10 percent stake in the company , while some 80 percent of the stakes will be owned by ak gıda , the french company said in a written statement to the public disclosure platform ( kap ) .
the company said the sale agreement was signed and the planned ipo on may 6 - 8 was canceled in the statement .
yıldız holding also applied to the turkish competition board on may 5 to buy all shares in fruit juice company yıldız granini meyve suyu from germany’s ecker - granini group gmbh and eckes - granini international gmbh . the group also sold all shares in natura food , which owns ice cream brand ülker golf , to ice cream investments .
yıldız , which also owns turkey’s largest food maker , ülker bisküvi , bought u . k . - based cookies and snacks maker united biscuits in november 2014 , in a deal it said made it the world’s third - biggest biscuit maker .
yıldız also acquired premium chocolate maker godiva for $ 850 million in 2007 and demet’s candy co , the u . s . maker of flipz’s chocolate pretzels and turtles’ covered nut clusters , for $ 221 million in 2013 .
the british government says foreign secretary boris johnson has resigned , amid a widening split in the cabinet over brexit .
turkey could gain an advantage from the trade wars between the u . s . and china , according to ali osman akat , chair of the turkish american business association .
roberto martinez’s swashbuckling belgium side head into the july 10 semi - final with familiar foes france as the world cup’s leading scorers , but its old rival has evolved as the tournament has progressed and will also be full of confidence .
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the french dairy giant has so far declined to clarify whether it has taken a part - or full - share in ak gıda , whose products include the i̇çim brand of yogurt . the two companies generated revenues of €614m and €16bn respectively last year .
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following a suspicion of salmonella agona presence in some batches of infant nutrition products produced in france , as a precautionary measure and following notification by ministerial decree , we are recalling a larger number of products .
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is a family - owned dairy group based in laval ( mayenne ) , in the west of france .
the group now employs 75 , 000 people , and owns 236 industrial plants around the world , in 44 different countries .
president is sold in more than 140 countries and represent more than 1 . 8 billion of euros of turnover and galbani is sold in more than 130 countries with 1 . 5 billion of euros of turnover .
we believe in developing people to their full capability and we offer many career opportunities across different fields and the groupe both in the uk and abroard .
if you have anything to tell us or ask us , please get in touch . we welcome your suggestions and comments .
keep up to date with the latest developments , launches and news for our brands .
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les géants pharmaceutiques reçus lundi 9 juillet par macron . quand recevra - t - il les personnels des
ox / info - franceinfo - levothyroxj - une - centaine - de - patients - porte - plainte - pour - trafic - d - influence _ 2837769 . html
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le consommateur valorise la transparence car il veut non seulement connaître mais aussi choisir l’origine et la nature des produits alimentaires qu’il ingère .
avec un taux marginal de substitution = 0 . nous avons intérêt à connaître l’origine des produits . les
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the project
days of ukrainian cuisine
, organized by the ukrainian south chef association , is a large - scale and important event in ukraine .
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october 19 : andre besnier goes into business at 52 rue d ' avesnieres in laval with 1 employee . 35 litres of milk collected and 17 camembert cheeses made on the first day .
the 40 - ies of xx century : andre besnier’s private company becomes société laitiere de laval a . besnier et cie with an annual turnover of 12 million old french francs ( 120 , 000 ff ) .
the 50s brought the company the first medal at the national agricultural exhibition for the unique taste and quality of andre besnier’s butter . in 1958 the annual production figures of camembert cheese were 25 million units , 800 tons of milk and 100 , 000 packages of cream .
the
societe laitiere de laval a . besnier et cie
becomes the
société laitiere besnier
turnover : 119 million french francs .
launch of president camembert opens with the launch of the tetrapack carton of pasteurised milk .
in 70s the company is mastered the west of france , buys the production facilities of soft cheeses . annual camembert production : 18 million units , the company ' s turnover outside france : 104 million french francs .
in 80th the company becomes the undisputed leader on the national market , while continuing the international development . turnover outside france : 350 million french francs .
the successful launch of fromagerie de belmont - the first production site outside france .
production of ultra - high temperature sterilized uht milk in a plastic bottle with a twisted lid . in 1991 the turnover : 18 billion ff . quantity of milk collected annually : 4 billion litres . annual production of camembert : 313 million units .
the company becomes the owner of factory , producing legendary french cheeses - roquefort , and expanding its range of aoc ( appellation d ' origine controlee ) cheeses . president sold its billionth camembert .
the company focuses on the international market . approval of president brand in belgium and the united states , the opening of sites and business in central and eastern europe - poland , ukraine .
group cheese production reaches 400 , 000 tonnes . turnover : 30 billion ff , export turnover : 10 billion ff , 14 , 000 employees .
acquisitions of dukat , leader in croatia on the fresh products market . the company produces milk , and a wide range of whole milk products under the trademark
ducat
and cheese under the trademark
sirela
.
our history is closely linked to the group history and its acquisitions over the years .
the seriously® story began in 1996 with the launch of seriously strong in the uk . seriously strong in an award winning cheddar , having won its first gold medals at the royal highland show and the british cheese awards in 2002 and being given the prestigious award of supreme champion at the 2007 british cheese awards . it is now the uk ' s second best selling cheddar brand . in 2006 , new products were added to make a seriously range which satisfy every taste .
private company incorporated : 1933 employees : 15 , 700 sales : eur 5 . 5 billion ( $ 6 . 5 billion ) ( 2005 ) naic : 311511 fluid milk manufacturing ; 311512 creamery butter manufacturing ; 311513 cheese manufacturing ; 422430 dairy product ( except dried or canned ) wholesalers
that first acquisition made besnier hungry for more . in 1973 , the company acquired a cheese making plant in charchigné from preval and followed that acquisition with the purchase of the buquet cheese dairies . the following year , besnier solidified its position in the normandy region , the traditional center of camembert cheese production , by forming the société laiterière de normandie with rival bridel . at the same time , the company expanded its own camembert production with the acquisitions of groupement laitier du perche and of laiteries prairies de l ' orne . one year later , besnier expanded again , adding brie to its product line with the purchase of cheese producer renault of doué la fontaine . another takeover followed in 1976 , when besnier acquired stenval sud .
by 1978 , besnier was thriving ; in that year , the company built a new , state - of - the - art production facility in donfront . the capacity of the new plant , located on 18 acres in the heart of normandy , was reported to be three times larger than that of the company ' s principal competitors of the time . with production levels reaching up to 400 , 000 units of camembert per day , the donfront factory was among the largest soft - cheese plants in the world . meanwhile , the company ' s line was augmented with the lepetit brand name . then , in 1979 , besnier expanded its butter production unit , building a butter plant in isigny le buat .
besnier started the next decade strongly . in 1980 , the company acquired the cheese making group atlalait and that group ' s six plants in the loire and deux - sévres , building on the company ' s position in western france . in that year , besnier also moved into eastern france , with the takeover of the jean lincet cheese dairy . by then , foreign demand was building for camembert and other french soft cheeses . in response , besnier established a small plant in the united states , in belmont , wisconsin in 1981 , which focused on supplying soft cheeses to the u . s . market . the company also began industrial production in villalba , spain in 1983 .
by the late 1980s , besnier had built the family business into a dairy empire of some 36 plants , processing more than two billion liters of milk per year into more than 400 products under the president , lepetit , claudel , lactel , and other branded and private label names . sales in 1988 had risen to frf 9 . 7 billion , and profits had nearly doubled to frf 378 million . besnier ' s growth during the previous two decades had been impressive , but it proved to be just the beginning . by the early years of the 1990s , besnier would more than double its sales .
with the creation of the european common market looming in 1992 , besnier moved to consolidate its position in france while simultaneously stepping up its expansion into foreign countries , the better to compete with the european dairy giants . the next phase of the company ' s expansion began in 1989 . in that year besnier made a number of smaller acquisitions , including that of hugerot , of the aube region of france , and the acquisition of the milk production operations of valmont , a subsidiary of the perrier group . the valmont acquisition also helped confirm michel besnier ' s reputation for transforming the failing operations of some of its acquisitions into profitable additions to the besnier group . also in 1989 , the company expanded into the los angeles market , with the acquisition of the small fresh dairy operation , atlantis , while the company deepened its european presence with the purchase of laiterie ekabe , of luxembourg , and the formation of a partnership to bring the company into the catalonia region of spain . another partnership , with a belgian dairy cooperative , led to the formation of sa laiterie walhorn molkerel .
besnier continued its growth through acquisition strategy into the late 1990s . during 1998 , the company added italy - based locatelli to its arsenal . besnier bolstered its u . s . holdings in 1999 with the purchases of concord marketing and simplot dairy group inc . by this time , the united states was the company ' s second largest market behind france . the addition of concord and simplot nearly doubled besnier ' s u . s . sales .
dawkins , william ,
roquefort returns to the french cheeseboard ,
financial times , october 3 , 1992 , p . 12 .
french cheese move in poland ,
east european markets , august 30 , 1996 .
herzog , karen ,
french connection : wisconsin village says ' oui ' to cheese ,
milwaukee journal sentinel , september 8 , 1996 , food sec . , p . 1 .
how a french connection found a taste for the uk ,
grocer , january 15 , 1994 .
mans , jack ,
c ' est le brie ,
dairy foods , january 1996 , p . 49 .
mcritchie , sarah ,
very private , increasingly global : name change , international acquisitions position french company for the millennium ,
dairy foods , april 1 , 1999 .
our manufacturing facilities in the uk are situated in the heart of the british countryside , including aberystwyth on the mid - wales coast , stranraer on the west coast of scotland , and lubborn , somerset , in the west country of england .
with the acquisition of a small importer and packer of speciality cheeses : david brough gourmet foods .
diversification of the product range of calf , lamb and kid milk replacer and dairy concentrate for piglets , both in france and for export .
takeover of voreal by the besnier group and transfer of the production unit to retiers .
creation of eurovo as a new brand for milk replacers and tendriade for veal meat .
start of production of bridel milk replacers at retiers . ( ille et vilaine , france ) .
04 feb 2010 - - - forlasa has a turnover of eur130mn and markets a variety of spanish cheeses under the brand names gran capitan , don bernardo and ventero .
09 jul 2018 - - - plant - based innovation is flourishing , according to innova market insights . growing consumer interest in health , sustainability and ethics are driving plant - derived ingredients and products into high popularity . innova market insights reports that plant - based product claims increased by 62 percent globally ( cagr , 2013 - 2017 ) with growth occurring on platforms such as plant proteins , active botanicals , sweeteners , herbs and seasonings and coloring foodstuffs .
07 jul 2018 - - - today marks world chocolate day 2018 and july 7 is dedicated to all things cocoa - based . despite concerns about health and obesity , chocolate remains a popular treat worldwide . world chocolate day supposedly marks the day when chocolate was first brought to europe in 1550 and has been observed since 2009 globally . however , there has been a slight shift in consumer tastes . the focus on obesity and the health agenda has made many consumers transfer allegiance to lower sugar and fat confectionery products . however , to ensure chocolate is still a firm favorite for many years to come , confectionery manufacturers have been working hard to offer healthier versions of existing products , as well as new innovations .
06 jul 2018 - - - this week in business , naturex was awarded a “gold” rating by ecovadis . the group received a score of 62 / 100 , putting it in the top 5 percent of companies rated by the group . in other news , campden bri is calling on companies to join its group bid for a share of its innovate uk fund to reduce the harm that plastics do to the environment . emmi has committed to reducing its global co2 emissions by 25 percent by 2020 .
06 jul 2018 - - - slowing population growth is expected to lead to decelerating demand for food , according to a new food and agriculture organization ( fao ) report which says that cereal stock levels have climbed to an all - time high . this follows a steady increase across most commodities which also reached record levels last year . at the same time , the fao food price index declined in june for the first time in 2018 , driven by trade tensions .
06 jul 2018 - - - food packaging innovators sirane has launched a new microwavable pack which is capable of crisping bacon precisely to the preference of the individual consumer . the consumer need only adjust the cooking times to adjust the levels of crispiness . an absorbent board within the pack absorbs the hot fat released by the bacon during microwaving , ensuring ideal taste and texture every time .
, arnhem , the netherlands . the leading international publisher on food ingredients and food product development .
however , it is clear that the company’s regional market diversification has been ongoing through an active acquisition strategy between 2008 and 2014 , as a result of which its reliance on western europe has gradually declined . at the same time , the company has expanded most significantly in the americas and in the middle east and africa in its dairy operations .
to ensure deforestation free supply chains , companies need to adopt and implement timebound and measurable policies for forest risk commodities .
this assessment has been carried out following the assessment methodology developed for the forest 500 project .
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rodolphe lindt , actually rudolf lindt , ( july 16 , 1855 – february 20 , 1909 ) was a swiss chocolate manufacturer and inventor .

he founded the lindt chocolate factory and invented the conching machine and other processes to improve the quality of chocolate .

rodolphe lindt

rodolphe lindt . from the wikipedia website : urltoken . accessed july 25 , 2016 .
it was 1879 . rodolphe lindt wanted to make chocolate . soft , fine chocolate , chocolate to enjoy .
the invention of lindt chocolate . from the lindt website : urltoken . accessed july 25 , 2016 .
the family behind lindt today is not , as it happens , called lindt . it is sprüngli .
rodolphe and his relatives , august and walter lindt , continued their involvement in the bern location and eventually retired from the company in 1905 .
rodolphe died in 1909 , and today the company which bears his name , lindt & sprungli ag , still develops recipes using his secret conching process .
rodolphe lindt set about to fix things . lindt was pharmacist , like his father and brother . but he apprenticed with a chocolate maker and at age twenty - four decided to set up his own chocolate shop and do some experimenting .
lindt was renowned for the smoothness of its chocolate , the result of rodolphe ' s invention of the conche , a piece of machinery which tumbled and mixed liquid chocolate . sprüngli was quick to acquire lindt and the secrets of its manufacturing process .
throughout its nearly 170 - year history , lindt has been a leader and pioneer in the premium chocolate industry . rodolphe lindt created the first melting chocolate in 1879 , essentially inventing chocolate as we know it today through the invention of the conche . with the know - how and passion of the lindt master chocolatiers , lindt & sprüngli carries on this legacy today , using state - of - the - art and proprietary technology .
however it was the lindt family which had the first big row . rodolphe , august and walter lindt retired from the business in 1905 . they had agreed not to re - enter the chocolate business . but august and walter broke the agreement and set up a factory , a & w lindt . a costly legal wrangle followed , resulting in the closure of the upstart business in 1928 .
it was the spring of 1898 . almost twenty years after the invention of the chocolat fondant . in olten , half way to zurich : that was where rodolphe lindt met this man who was famous for his own chocolate , but much more so for his entrepreneurial spirit . this man knew : rodolphe lindt would have to be able to continue to tinker and , which was just as important , have a say in what happened to his chocolat fondant .
the movie
chocolat
inspired the maître chocolatiers at lindt to create this superb hot chocolate .
at the same time , everyone was trying to uncover his secret , but fortunately they were unsuccessful . and so the offers came . the secret recipe was worth an audacious three million marks to a german company . but hand it over ? rodolphe lindt rejected the offer .
born in 1855 , the son of a pharmacist , rodolphe became one of the 19th century’s most popular chocolate makers , founding a chocolate factory in bern , switzerland in 1879 .
but in 1905 , lindt shocked many with his decision . he decided to sell his company to rudolf sprungli , a chocolate maker from zurich , germany . for 1 . 5 million swiss francs , lindt turned over the rights for his products and his recipe to sprungli . and ever since , the lindt & sprungli continued to produce good quality chocolate .
many sought his secret . in 1899 , a crazed for the formula of lindt begun when the german magazine , gordian , published an article titled “why does this chocolate taste different from others ? ” letter for guesses on lindt’s recipe flooded the publisher .
the lindt usa facility produces chocolate , from bean to finished product , for the united states , canada , mexico , various european markets , and australia allowing lindt to meet the rising consumer demands for premium chocolate on both a national and global level .
it was 1879 . rodolphe lindt , the son of a bernese pharmacist , wanted to make chocolate . do you know what chocolate was like at the time ? it was hard : hard to process and hard to eat . you actually had to chew it . soft ? enjoyable ? a joy for the senses ? a pipe - dream . it did not become reality until one pivotal evening . . . but stop ! things didn ' t go that fast . rodolphe lindt was a confectioner , epicurean and bon vivant who wanted to create a chocolate that was not hard and pleasing to the pallet . he bought an old factory hall with antiquated machines . bernese society was surprised but this did not discourage rodolphe . he conducted some experiments , but nothing worked . on the contrary : a white layer formed on the chocolate mass . bernese society poured scorn on him .
lindt & sprüngli is known for its chocolate products , like the iconic gold bunny , various chocolate bars , and lindor truffles .
when rodolphe lindt revealed the secret to sprüngli junior and senior , they were both highly amazed – and sworn to secrecy . the secret was placed in a safe , where it remains today . and very soon , chocolat fondant was produced in a modern factory in kilchberg near zurich . for unauthorised persons , it was
no entry
.
for almost 150 years , chocolate manufacturers in switzerland and the rest of the world have been trying to discover the secret behind the family recipe . nobody has quite managed to do so up until now . the melt - in - the - mouth chocolate from rodolphe lindt has remained a symbol not only for world - renowned swiss chocolate but also for the innovativeness and inventive spirit of successful entrepreneurs from this small country in the heart of europe : the country of lindt chocolate .
his new “melting chocolate” was such a success , and rodolphe was unable to keep up with increasing demand so he sold his company and the secret of the conching process to zurich chocolate entrepreneur rudolf sprungli in 1899 .
rodolphe lindt was successful with his chocolat fondant – and gained the recognition of noble bernese society . they all ordered his chocolat fondant . and kept on ordering more . but they waited . patiently at the beginning . then irritated later . and ultimately furious . his old factory , down by the aare , was much too small ; it creaked and groaned .
lindt & sprüngli had initially set up only one successful overseas manufacturing plant , in england . however , the end of the second world war and the lifting of restrictions on supply soon led to lindt chocolate being made under licence in france , germany and italy . in 1972 , lindt & sprüngli took full control of its overseas operations . it now claims to be the world ' s largest manufacturer of premium chocolate .
lindt celebrated its 150th anniversary in 1995 in style . it sent a box of chocolates to every swiss household - all 2m of them .
when rodolphe lindt entered his factory on the following monday morning , he was initially shocked . but what he found in the stirring tank was anything but hard , burnt chocolate mass . it shone ; it smelt wonderful . and when he tasted some of it , he was the first person ever to experience how chocolate melts in the mouth . he was in seventh heaven .
in the mid - 1890s , his small factory was ready for demolition ; modernisation was vital . and there was the pressing question of how to reduce the pile of orders . rodolphe lindt ' s forehead started to show the first signs of worry . and they were precisely the things that caused him to meet a man who had travelled especially from zurich to meet him .
johann was ambitious and not only brought in modern equipment but moved the factory to an even larger site beside lake zurich at kilchberg . to finance the expansion he turned the business into a public company , chocolat springli ag , in 1899 and at the same time took up an option to buy berne - based rodolphe lindt , the best known chocolate maker of the day .
at that time , chocolate was a very different product from today — generally gritty and often bitter . rodolphe started experimenting with how to mix product ingredients and is said to have used old machines he bought from a bankrupt spice mill .
lindt is actively engaged politically , economically and socially in new hampshire , participating in the community to make the state a better place to live and work .
in the 19th century , the tiny land lock country of switzerland became the center of development for chocolate production . the advent of industrialization led to the commercialization and improvements to the production of once luxurious products and turning to a product that the masses could enjoy . names like jean tobler and daniel peter were pioneers to the rise of chocolate . and among the most ingenious and successful of this chocolatiers was rodolphe lindt .
ganterbein , who had previously been married to another swiss businessman , had been accused of influencing the appointment of lindt executives and being behind the departure of rudolph ' s son .
after creating the machine , the next task for lindt was to look for the perfect chocolate recipe for his company . this search , however , would end in an accident , not of a tragic kind . one weekend lindt worked with his machine to make his chocolate recipe . for unknown reasons , he left the factory without turning his conche machine off . for three days , the machine continued to roll . upon the return of lindt he discovered that the chocolate in the conche was smooth and easy to mold . he dubbed his product chocolat fondant .
every one has their favorite brownie recipe and this is one of lindt’s maîtres chocolatiers . the success of a brownie depends not only on the ingredients , but also on not overbaking it .
rodolphe lindt was a hard working son of a pharmacist . born in 1855 in berne , switzerland , his relation with chocolate begun when he became an apprentice to a confectioner . during his apprenticeship , he learned the art of chocolate making that was becoming popular in switzerland . after finishing his apprenticeship , during the 1870’s he decided to establish his own chocolate factory in berne . he build his dream chocolate factory from trash . he bought two factory buildings that were damaged by fire . and his roasting machinery for his cacao beans was second hand , bought from a bankrupt company . nevertheless , with hard work and perseverance , and with some help from his brother august lindt , his factory began production by late 1870’s .
lindt tried what he could — different ingredients , different mixing processes , including additional cocoa butter - - but nothing seemed to work . until , as legend has it , an employee failed to turn off a special mixing machine on a friday night . lindt returned monday morning , dismayed to find the mixer still running . but the chocolate he discovered had an amazing consistency and aroma . it was delicious .
on hearing of the marriage , lindt ' s managing director ulrich geissmann resigned , leaving the group without an operational boss for the fourth time in six years . the row ended two years later when rudolph retired , aged 75 .
lindt & sprüngli ( south africa ) ( pty ) ltd . 18th floor | portside | 4 bree street | cape town 8001 | republic of south africa . p . o . box 576 | green point 8051 | republic of south africa
processes , including the lindt & sprungli chocolate process in 1972 . described as the most significant improvement to chocolate manufacturing since the invention of the conche , the lscp is said to ensure the quality of chocolate while requiring less energy and space than dozens of conches .
while lindt ' s chocolate may claim to be the smoothest in the world , the company has had its rough patches , having to contend with two domestic disputes - one in the 19th century , the other in the 20th century - which have affected it profoundly .
lindt was more of an artisan than a businessman , but it doesn’t mean he was generous with his techniques . chocolat fondant became an instant hit . from rich and middle class swiss , they looked for lindt’s product . they loved its silky texture and its sweeter taste . the melting of the chocolate mesmerized them . lindt on the other never expanded his business . he did not built a larger factory or even established a distribution chain throughout switzerland . it turned out , he made chocolate for passion . although not looking for a huge chocolate empire , he kept his conche machine and chocolat fondant recipe a secret . he defended his secret as if it was a city of gold . he kept the machines in another building . its keys were only in the hands of the few . authorized personals were also minimal .
in 1847 , british chocolate company j . s . fry & sons created the first solid edible chocolate bar from cocoa butter , cocoa powder and sugar . rodolphe lindt’s 1879 invention of the conching machine , which produced chocolate with a velvety texture and superior taste , and other advances allowed for the mass production of smooth , creamy milk chocolate on factory assembly lines . you don’t need to have a sweet tooth to recognize the familiar names of the family - owned companies such as cadbury , mars and hershey that ushered in a chocolate boom in the late 1800s and early 1900s that has yet to abate . today , the average american consumes 12 lbs . of chocolate each year , and more than $ 75 billion worldwide is spent on chocolate annually .
lindt looked for solutions . he asked the aide of his pharmacist brother , august for help . with research and observation they found out that the whitish coat was caused by too much water . they also found out that cocoa butter was the solution to make the chocolate smoother in the mouth .
lindt usa first opened its doors 25 years ago in 1989 and continues to expand in stratham , new hampshire . the company employs nearly 2 , 000 people at peak demand during the year at the company’s production facility , and continues to be one of the largest employers on the new hampshire seacoast .
so he suggested to lindt that he buy the brand off him . and this brilliant secret of the conching as well . for a good price , obviously , and with a say in what happened , of course , and without obligations . and yes , also the employees of lindtsche berner fabrik – they would all be taken over .
it was his brother auguste , a pharmacist like his father , who analysed the white coating which turned out to be harmless : crystallised fat . the testing continued well into the night . more cocoa beans ? cooking the cocoa butter ? nobody had done this up to then ! he worked on the recipe , thought about it , experimented . but no matter what he did , he was no closer to achieving his goal .
chocolat fin
? you must be joking ! then came that friday evening . rodolphe lindt , jeered as one of the
jeunesse dorée
, left the factory without having finished his work – and more importantly , without having switched off the machines . did he forget to do so because he was in such a hurry ? or was it intentional ? did he have a hunch or was it a small act of defiance ? we don ' t know . but the machine continued to run : for a whole weekend .
but all that didn ' t bother him : he enjoyed his life , hunting , at vernissages , in parlours . sold the chocolat fondant to the noble daughters at boarding schools in neuenburg and berne . he only went to the factory when he felt like it . and he accepted the offer from the confectioner jean tobler to ensure even fuller order books for lindt as a travelling salesman .
there is little to suggest that little heidi had also foreseen that she would share her dream villa with another wealthy septuagenarian . for the past two weeks , however , she has done just that . and not just any old man . for the latest love in her life is rudolph robert sprungli , 72 - year - old patriarch of the maker of fine chocolates , lindt & sprungli . more than a successful business , lindt & sprungli is an institution , a bastion of tradition now in its fifth generation of sprunglis . its shares , the second most expensive in switzerland ( after the kuoni travel group ) are few in number , and represent one of the classic inheritance gifts in fine zurich society . a blue - chip investment - the company has never missed a dividend since its first payment as a public company in 1899 - and a repository of dignified swiss values : a revered combination .
the result of their research came to a form of a new machine in 1879 . hot rollers were placed in an iron trough in a granite stone . this would serve as the mixer for the cocoa and the extracted cocoa butter . the machine was then power by the nearby river of aare . lindt called his machine conche , coming from the spanish word concha meaning shell . it was because the machine resembled a half shell . and the process though the machine was called conching .
in the company itself , he directed an independent accountant , kpmg fides , to investigate the allegations that lindt & sprungli had been infiltrated by members of the i am sect . and he instigated another private investigation , into mrs gantenbein ' s past . the kpmg fides report , produced before the board in late july , dismissed all the wilder allegations . it found no evidence of i am infiltration . it did find that alexandra gantenbein exerted ' weight and influence in decisions concerning managerial appointments ' .
lindt is actively involved in the community including , but not limited to : united way of new hampshire ; donating chocolate to food banks and various programs throughout new england ; donating to pease greeters , a group who welcome men and women in our armed forces at pease international airport either on their way to or from areas of conflict ; donating to feed the children , a non - profit relief organization ; and through donations of used cocoa bean shells byproduct to a public service of new hampshire power plant , which are used to create renewable energy for psnh customers throughout new hampshire .
throughout the year , switzerland hosts hundreds of festivals and sporting , cultural and political events . roughly every 25 years , switzerland holds a national exhibition .
switzerland is a christian country . around two - thirds of the population are either roman catholic or protestant ( reformed - evangelical ) .
thanks to its location at the crossroads of three major european cultures ( german , french and italian ) , switzerland has a rich and varied arts and culture scene .
switzerland evolved over many centuries from a loose alliance of small self - governing towns and states to a fully - fledged federal state of 26 cantons .
federalism and direct democracy reflect the great importance that the swiss political system places on the freedom of choice and self - determination .
switzerland has one of the most competitive economies in the world thanks above all to its highly developed service sector .
a cornerstone of the swiss economy , comprising the banking and insurance sectors and contributing to switzerland’s prosperity .
the main sources of energy in switzerland are oil , natural gas , nuclear power and hydropower .
the agricultural sector is only a very small part of the swiss economy , but it is very important for the tourism industry and the country ' s food security .
switzerland is not only one of the world’s most innovative research nations , but also one of the most competitive .
primary schoolchildren acquire and develop the basic skills and knowledge needed to further their education .
switzerland has three main geographic regions : the alps covering around 60 % of the country ' s total surface area , the swiss plateau ( 30 % ) and the jura ( 10 % ) .
the world’s longest railway tunnel – the gotthard base tunnel – was officially opened on 1 june 2016 .
solar impulse has brought the dream of flying over long distances without the need for fossil fuel a step closer to reality .
at an altitude of 2 , 883 metres and nestled among the glaciers and imposing peaks of the valais alps , the new monte rosa mountain refuge rises from the icy landscape like a giant sparkling shard of rock crystal .
from the medieval old town of berne to the futuristic city of brasilia , from the tiny convent of müstair to the imposing cathedral of chartres , from the fertile terraced vineyards of lavaux to the vast desert of ténéré – all have one thing in common : they are unesco world heritage sites .
quality , precision , uniqueness , reliability , tradition , design , innovation … these are just a few of the words that sum up the swiss watchmaking industry – an industry which manages to produce timepieces that are diminutive yet highly complex , traditional yet state - of - the art .
switzerland is synonymous with mountains . not only do they cover one third of the country’s surface area , but they are also of major historical , geopolitical and economic importance . the mountains , for example , have been the selling point of the swiss tourist industry for more than 100 years .
hard cheese , soft cheese , cottage cheese , cheese made in mountain chalets , cheese made in valley factories , cheese shaved into rosettes , cheese boxed in red pine , cheese melted in wine to make fondue , hot cheese dribbled over potatoes to make raclette . . .
the swiss vet ( vocational education and training ) system enables young people to enter the labour market and ensures that there are enough qualified workers and managers in the future .
the main driver of demographic growth in switzerland over the last few decades has been migration .
discover switzerland through more than 20 graphics on the themes of society , the economy , science and the environment .
nobody has known it up to now – or almost nobody . one thing is for certain : the stirring for hours , even days and nights is all part of it : the conching process . cocoa butter ? definitely . but how much ? hm . and what else ?
today , smooth . the university of houston presents this series about the machines that make our civilization run , and the people whose ingenuity created them .
or many people , thereís nothing quite as satisfying as biting into good quality chocolate . the sweetness . the subtle smoothness as it melts on the tongue . but thatís not the way we find it in nature . a lot of processing takes place first . and one of the most important breakthroughs in making chocolate occurred in 1879 in bern , switzerland .
chocolateís been around for millennia . central and south american cultures are known to have prepared it in much the same way we now prepare coffee . the bitter drink found its way to europe as the result of the spanish conquests and colonization of the americas . in spain , the drink became popular as sweeteners and flavorings were added . other european countries joined the trend , adding their own special flavor enhancements to the hot beverage . such would remain the state of chocolate consumption for roughly another three centuries .
a woman ( aline masson ) drinking a cup of chocolate , in a canvas by raimundo madrazo . photo credit : wikimedia commons .
the early eighteen - hundreds saw serious efforts to develop chocolate in solid form . but one problem in particular stood out : the texture of the finished product . imagine hard , brittle chocolate . or chocolate that required chewing .
inside the shell of each cocoa bean is the nib , from which cocoa is made . over half of the nib is a natural oil called cocoa butter . chocolate production begins by pressing the nibs to arrive at an oily paste . from there , itís up to the chocolate maker to decide how he wants to proceed .
the actual events leading to the discovery remain a mystery . but the process , known as conching , is a mainstay of modern chocolate production . the constant mixing creates a smoother texture , but it also produces frictional heat which changes the chemical composition of the chocolate . fine chocolates tend to be conched for longer than their less expensive cousins . but short or long , conchingís tailored to bring about desired characteristics in the finished product . itís as important to making chocolate as the ingredients that go into the mix .
and why is it called conching ? here again , legend has it that the early machines bore a resemblance to conch shells . but iíll leave that for you to decide . pictures can be found on the engines website .
granite roller and granite base of a conche used by hershey in the early 1900s . photo credit : wikimedia commons .
hershey conche in the early 1900s made by j . m . lehmann in dresden / paris . photo credit : wikimedia commons .
iím andy boyd at the university of houston , where weíre interested in the way inventive minds work .
chocolate . from the wikipedia website : urltoken . accessed july 25 , 2016 .
conche . from the wikipedia website : urltoken . accessed july 25 , 2016 .
the rest is history . today , you would call it a classic win - win situation . after all , each one of them got exactly what he wanted to get from the other one : here the manufacturer and wealthy businessman from zurich ; there the creator of the chocolat fondant and holder of the secret recipe from berne . they had an inkling , but didn ' t yet know for sure : the company was about to embark on an unparalleled success story .
in order to increase the cocoa farmers ' quality of life . . . .
during his chocolate production , he saw problems to it . first , he saw that his hard press dried cocoa cakes caused “whitish” coating that repel customers . it also had a rough texture in the mouth and also had bitter taste . also , he saw problems in production . he saw that the pressing of dried cocoa into cakes were labor intensive and back breaking .
grivetti , l . e . chocolate : history , culture , and heritage . new jersey : wiley , 2009 .
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improved the smoothness and melting quality of swiss chocolate by devising a revolutionary method called “conching , ” whereby extra cocoa butter . . .
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legend has it that he left a mixing machine on overnight and found later that the extended period of mixing had dramatically affected the chocolate .
experimenting further , he found grinding the ingredients to introduce mechanical friction and heat imparted a delicate flavor , reduced bitterness and a lower melting point .
he subsequently developed a special grinding machine with a long , shell - like , bath - shaped tank , which resembled a conch shell , and his new “conche” machine changed the face of the chocolate business forever .
the trouble with family companies is that the owners tend to behave just like - families . they have rows and disagreements , divorces and inappropriate marriages .
the sprünglis built up a thriving chocolate business during the second half of the 19th century . they started with a small confectionery shop in zurich , then set up a factory at horgen , at the top end of lake zurich .
as chocolate became more fashionable , the sprünglis opened a bigger shop and moved the factory to zurich . in 1892 the business was split . johann rudolf sprüngli - schifferli inherited the factory while his younger brother took over the shops .
during the mid - 1990s , the company was rocked by one of those rows which could only occur in a family business . rudolph sprüngli , the septuagenarian chairman , divorced his wife of 45 years , and four months later announced he had married alexandra gantenbein , a 44 - year - old widow who was a member of an american religious sect .
the new chairman and chief executive ernst tanner came from outside the family but he is determined to fight off would be predators .
the way to stay independent , he told shareholders , was to report record sales and profits . only the products are for swallowing - not the company .
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chocolate may be the “food of the gods , ” but for most of its 4 , 000 - year history , it was actually consumed as a bitter beverage rather than as a sweet edible treat . anthropologists have found evidence that chocolate was produced by pre - olmec cultures living in present - day mexico as early as 1900 b . c . the ancient mesoamericans who first cultivated cacao plants found in the tropical rainforests of central america fermented , roasted and ground the cacao beans into a paste that they mixed with water , vanilla , honey , chili peppers and other spices to brew a frothy chocolate drink .
olmec , mayan and aztec civilizations found chocolate to be an invigorating drink , mood enhancer and aphrodisiac , which led them to believe that it possessed mystical and spiritual qualities . the mayans worshipped a god of cacao and reserved chocolate for rulers , warriors , priests and nobles at sacred ceremonies .
when the aztecs began to dominate mesoamerica in the 14th century , they craved cacao beans , which could not be grown in the dry highlands of central mexico that were the heart of their civilization . the aztecs traded with the mayans for cocao beans , which were so coveted that they were used as currency . ( in the 1500s , aztecs could purchase a turkey hen for 100 beans . ) by some accounts , the 16th - century aztec emperor montezuma drank three gallons of chocolate a day to increase his libido .
in the 1500s , spanish conquistadors such as hernán cortés who sought gold and silver in mexico returned instead with chocolate . although the spanish sweetened the bitter drink with cane sugar and cinnamon , one thing remained unchanged : chocolate was still a delectable symbol of luxury , wealth and power . chocolate was sipped by royal lips , and only spanish elites could afford the expensive import .
spain managed to keep chocolate a savory secret for nearly a century , but when the daughter of spanish king philip iii wed french king louis xiii in 1615 , she brought her love of chocolate with her to france . the popularity of chocolate quickly spread to other european courts , and aristocrats consumed it as a magic elixir with salubrious benefits . to slake their growing thirst for chocolate , european powers established colonial plantations in equatorial regions around the world to grow cacao and sugar . when diseases brought by the european explorers depleted the native mesoamerican labor pool , african slaves were imported to work on the plantations and maintain the production of chocolate .
chocolate remained an aristocratic nectar until dutch chemist coenraad johannes van houten in 1828 invented the cocoa press , which revolutionized chocolate - making . the cocoa press could squeeze the fatty cocoa butter from roasted cacao beans , leaving behind a dry cake that could be pulverized into a fine powder that could be mixed with liquids and other ingredients , poured into molds and solidified into edible , easily digestible chocolate . the innovation by van houten ushered in the modern era of chocolate by enabling it to be used as a confectionary ingredient , and the resulting drop in production costs made chocolate affordable to the masses .
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fanny gantenbein likes to recount how her daughter heidi had a premonition that one day she would live in a grand house . the girl from appenzell - the swiss canton that only recently gave women the vote - claimed at an early age to enjoy a gift for knowing things others could not . her present abode more than fulfils the ambitions of those childhood presentiments . a noble villa on the exclusive forch hillside outside zurich , looking over the splendid greifensee , it is in the style of a spanish mansion , with two turrets and three flags , zurich and swiss , fluttering in the garden . an imposing wall suggests only the select few are welcome .
acquiring this exquisite residence was a stroke of luck . just 16 months after 38 - year - old alexandra - a name heidi had adopted as more suited to her new aspirations - had married an ailing 77 - year - old industrialist , max burri , he died . there is no evidence that she played a decisive role in drawing up the contract , six days after the marriage in january 1986 , which disinherited the elder burri brother , fritz , and left everything to her . none the less , the reputed sfr4 . 5m ( pounds 1 . 77m ) inheritance enabled the widow burri - gantenbein to fulfil her premonition .
until two weeks ago , that is . for on 31 july , four months after leaving his wife of 45 years , rudolph sprungli secretly married alexandra gantenbein , freelance preacher , occasional member of the weird american sect i am , photographic model , waitress and social climber extraordinary . most recently , she has taken to holding meditative seminars at zurich ' s finest hotels . hers was a fairy - tale success , but one which , to the conservative noses of zurich ' s gilded salons and banking houses , stank to the high heaven with which alexandra gantenbein claimed to be so closely in touch .
upon learning of the clandestine marriage , the l & s managing director , 50 - year - old ulrich geissmann , 12 months in the job and widely credited with having stopped the drift at the company , stormed out . ' the situation had become impossible for me , ' he said . ' the basis of trust was so badly damaged that i simply could not continue . ' his private remark was blunter : ' the whole thing will blow up like a bomb , ' mr geissmann warned .
mr sprungli ' s personal public relations adviser , walter senn , obviously thought so too , for he cleared out as well . armed with photographs and reports from mrs gantenbein ' s eventful past , he had sought vainly to cool his boss ' s ardour . a stunned board of directors were helpless spectators . ' this business is horribly tragic , ' moaned board member martin hurlimann , who admitted to toying with resignation , ' because sprungli says nothing to me any more . ' it was all too much for the market . l & s shares plunged 15 per cent in days , the fall only slowed by strong buying by the company ' s house bank , credit suisse , ostensibly on orders from mr sprungli himself . overall , the shares lost 20 per cent since may , when it first became clear the couple ' s relationship was about more than sharing a cosmic energy plane .
at the end of last week , the shares were boosted somewhat by takeover rumours . there are obvious candidates . nestle and philip morris / jacobs suchard in switzerland , cadbury schweppes , which is looking to improve its continental position , and a stronger contender , hershey foods of the us , which has declared europe as a priority . once this flutter passed , however , the shares continued to sag . analysts who weeks previously had been recommending l & s as a good buy could suddenly no longer see the turnover for the leg - over . ' what does the woman want ? ' asks roger birrer of bank julius baer ' everyone wonders , no one knows . we all feel so powerless . ' a top private banker is less reticent . ' it ' s dangerous . i would not touch it with a bargepole . '
dangerous - simply because a single - minded septuagenarian falls for a fascinating , attractive woman 28 years his junior ? a more charitable view might have been that the liaison proved the old man has more sprungli in his step than many had imagined , and that this must be good for the company , which has prospered under his autocratic leadership . although underperforming its potential , in the view of analysts ( it has a price / earnings ratio of around nine , instead of the 15 seen in the best food companies worldwide ) , l & s has internationally been highly regarded as a solid , more - than - respectable business . cash - rich , with a strong market position , the company has grown in recent years by purchasing outright its licensees in france and germany . net sales last year amounted to sfr765m , an increase of 9 per cent .
it did have its problems however , which is why mr geissmann ' s departure is causing such alarm . a former top food manager with the giant swiss retailer migros , he was appointed last year to take firm control of a galleon that had gone gently adrift . too little attention had been paid to costs . the atmosphere was wrong . mr geissmann ' s departure at the beginning of this month left l & s without an operational head for the fourth time in six years . too many senior managers had left or been discarded .
rudolph sprungli , who had , since the seventies , carefully worked himself into a position where he exercised control with an estimated 40 per cent of the company ' s shares , was debited with increasingly eccentric decisions . it is no coincidence , insiders say , that things got worse from the time alexandra gantenbein appeared on the scene early in 1990 . she impressed the patriarch sufficiently to become his ' special personnel adviser ' . mrs gantenbein ' s influence is rumoured to have played a key role in the stormy break - up between rudolph sprungli and his elder son , 41 - year - old rudolf k , forcing the latter to leave the company last year . not only did it cause deep dismay in the company , it led ineluctably to the elder sprungli ' s divorce in march this year .
it was this troubled atmosphere that ulrich geissmann entered , under the clear condition that his authority would not be undermined by other influences . he set about restructuring , slimming the product line , reducing costs . analysts were enthused . ' he was doing a fine job , ' says rene weber of vontobel bank , ' which is why his departure was felt to be such a blow . '
the marriage had confirmed mr geissman ' s worst fears : that alexandra gantenbein ' s mariage certificate was going to prove more powerful than his managing director ' s contract . this was what the private banker had been referring to when he described events at l & s as ' dangerous ' . as a company so strongly in the grip of one man , it is also particularly exposed to his vagaries . ' it does not take much , in such a case , for total control to become out of control , ' says mr birrer of julius baer .
alexandra heidi burri - sprungli - gantenbein ' s involvement with a religious sect and her impressive ability to improve her station in life , thanks to elderly male benefactors , gave , in the eyes of many , a rather more sinister shade to what might otherwise have provoked little more than a knowing smile .
' is she a legacy - hunter ? ' wonders roger birrer , asking the question on everyone ' s lips . the analysts are not just acting nervously , they
are traumatised . for they fear that tragedy may be about to repeat itself . the movenpick affair is still fresh in their minds .
it , too , began as a love story . the 52 - year - old ueli prager , owner of the movenpick food and restaurant chain , met 25 - year - old jutta bergus , a secretary at a building society , while he was in hospital with a broken leg . they married , and the youthful wife enjoyed an exhilarating rise up the company ladder to become managing director . the internal ructions were enormous , as senior staff fled the falling masonry . eventually the marriage collapsed . but by then , so too , had mr prager ' s grip on movenpick . in february of this year , he sold out ignominiously to the munich - based entrepreneur august von finck .
whenever the analysts say gantenbein , their nervous lips suggest movenpick . ' some similarities are already there , ' says rene weber . ' the old man takes a much younger wife ; her influence grows in the company ; the managing director leaves . ' it would be the next theoretical step that the market cannot bear to think about : alexandra sprungli - gantenbein becoming managing director of l & s . ' that would be a disaster , ' says roger birrer . ' it would not be tolerated . '
it was in an effort to staunch such speculation that rudolph sprungli went to the unusual length , nine days after the wedding , of issuing a public statement . it said that ' there never was and is today no discussion about giving my wife , alexandra sprungli - gantenbein , operational responsibilities in the firm . ' he dismissed the rich panoply of revelations and speculation about his wife ' s past as ' calumny ' .
since the wedding , alexandra sprungli - gantenbein has not ventured from her gilded fortress , complete with bronzed american bodyguard . her husband , by contrast , shows every sign of being on top of the world , driven to work each day with a broad smile on his face . after all , he has done what he likes doing best - getting his own way . this is the man who , when the local rotary club failed to elect him president , started a rival branch on the other shore of the lake . rudolph sprungli did not need to be bewitched in order to ride roughshod over the wishes and opinions of others .
it was in such a defiant mood in may this year that , two months after separating from his 68 - year - old wife , elisabeth sprungli - halter , mr sprungli announced to a stunned zurich society that he was to wed alexandra gantenbein . the couple then left for a pre - nuptial honeymoon in the us . the horrified board of directors sought to use this respite to prepare its defences . upon returning to zurich , mr sprungli was somewhat surprised to find his pr adviser urging him to stay on the plane , while his bride - to - be was whisked away in a limousine . then , in the vip lounge , walter senn went through everything he had collected on mrs gantenbein ' s past .
the patriarch was moved . he faxed his bride - to - be , announcing that the wedding was off . alexandra gantenbein no longer held her post as ' special personnel adviser ' . but if the visibly relieved management of l & s thought that the old man ' s new obsession could be so easily exorcised , they were badly mistaken . rudolph sprungli withdrew in on himself , not turning up to rotary club meetings , avoiding close friends . he hired a new driver , who had nothing to do with the company , so keeping his movements to himself . for his contacts with alexandra gantenbein had not been broken off .
none the less , the relief all round was palpable . not only had the marriage been averted , the distinguished company had escaped any cult influence . the rejoicing was short - lived . for rudolph sprungli felt vindicated . two days after the board had approved the kpmg fides report , without informing anyone in the company , mr sprungli revived his original plan and married mrs gantenbein at the civil register office . two anonymous witnesses were present .
rarely can such a modest nuptial have caused such commotion in zurich . the better society , resorting to the most potent insult it could think of , accused the sprunglis of behaving like the british royal family .
for the curious , there is still a chance to sign up for alexandra sprungli - gantenbein ' s preaching sessions , which begin again in the autumn . there , if past form is any guide , participants will be treated to discourses on the correct consistency and proper aroma of human excreta , along with various teachings from the philosophy of the i am sect . founded in the thirties in the us by guy ballard , a mining engineer , it believes in reincarnation .
cult members claim to have secret powers drawn from a field of pure energy , known as the ' beloved mighty i am presence ' , which hovers above their heads . at its peak in the late thirties , the cult was reckoned to have between a million and three million members , but it dwindled after the death of mr ballard ( who was supposed to be immortal ) in 1939 , which was closely followed by an indictment of other leaders for fraud . nevertheless it still has some life , and there are believed to be about 200 members in switzerland alone .
the rather more down - to - earth analysts , meanwhile , are looking for less ethereal signs that all is not lost at l & s . the first and most important move will be the appointment of a new managing director . only the brave are likely to be tempted to take on the challenge . for the new man may be dealing not merely with a company at odds with itself , but possibly with cosmic beings as well . . . -
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