CAREER EN | DE | NL Home > Product innovation Product Innovation Protein leader Nutritional trends come and go, but most nutritionists agree that protein is an essential part of a well-balanced diet. Protein can help us fuel our day, feel fuller longer, manage our weight and support healthy aging. Protein can be made up of hundreds of building blocks called amino acids, which are linked together in unique sequences. There are about 20 different amino acids; nine of them are designated essential amino acids. They are called essential because the body cannot create them. It needs to obtain them from the food we eat. This means protein-rich foods such as poultry, pork and beef. The protein found in meat and poultry is complete protein because it supplies all the essential amino acids in the required amounts. Eating the right balance and combination of protein is key to a nutritious diet. We strongly believe in innovation in order to offer the consumer freedom of choice As one of the largest European meat importers and a producer of high-quality meat products, Zandbergen World’s Finest Meat announced in April of 2018 that it will represent Beyond Meat in Europe. The California-based startup is widely recognised as the plant-based meat category leader. After explosive growth in the U.S. market, the startup is now expanding into Europe. “As a family-owned company, we think about the long-term relationship we want to build with our consumers and suppliers. If we want to maintain our leading role in the meat industry, we believe we must anticipate on the changing behaviour of consumers,” Joris Zandbergen explained. “Looking to the future, we envision ourselves as a supplier fulfilling our customer’s protein needs, rather than being solely a meat supplier.” From farm to fork Global food and agricultural industries are expanding and changing rapidly. Eating habits in fast-growing countries continue to evolve as consumers become wealthier and people everywhere become more aware of food quality and safety issues. In response, governments have put in place strict regulations and businesses along the food supply chain have developed various standards and control plans to prevent food safety issues. Companies such as Zandbergen that are involved in the production, packaging, handling, transportation and selling of food and food products must comply with all these regulations to access valuable consumer markets. Zandbergen also chooses to enforce strict control plans to safeguard our reputation and increase our appeal to customers and consumers. We work with the agricultural and meat industry to inspect and certify the quantity and quality of production and shipment. We are IFS (International Food Standard- Food) and AEO (Authorized Economic Operator) certified*. The European Union imposes specific restrictions on, for example, the use of GMOs in production, acceptable levels of residues or pesticides in meat or traceability. Zandbergen tests for compliance with these regulations and uses specialised certification programmes. Our “farm to fork” policy involves tracking each animal from birth onward, including its growing and living conditions, storage conditions and finally transportation to our customers, according to their specific wishes. Our farm to fork policy has been developed through our long-term relationships with our suppliers. Software supports the tracking of each imported batch through easy accessible information. * Our AEO certification is applicable to Meat Import Zandbergen Brothers BV and Frigomundo Customs Services BV. Our farm to fork policy has been developed through our long-term relationships with our suppliers Believe the freeze We are a butcher from origin and respect this noble craft. We consequently have a commitment to quality in our DNA and want only the very best meat from around the world. This has led us to find a way to live up to our standards and source meat from around the world. Some of our products such as The Frozen Butcher, TrustMyChicken™ and many of the private labels we produce are quick-frozen in special freezers immediately after production. This means we do not need to add artificial preservatives, colouring agents or other additives. And we can guarantee that in the consumer freezer, the meat retains its authentic butcher’s taste and quality until customers prepare it. We love meat and this is why we sometimes recommend freezing it: To guarantee that the best quality comes to your table. Innovative packaging Packaging plays an increasingly important role at Zandbergen World’s Finest Meat in light of the expansion of consumer goods requiring superior packaging quality and product package design. Charlotte Zandbergen: “Packaging is inevitably a significant aspect in our business: it bridges the brand messaging to the consumers. It serves as the brand’s voice as it intends to communicate the product benefits, category and unique selling proposition to our markets.” While packaging has a significant impact on our company and brands, it also plays a role in ensuring that our brands adhere to a sustainable packaging strategy. Pure products should be sold in clean packaging Social responsive packaging is a key emerging packaging strategy in today’s market. This strategy points out the responsibility of Zandbergen marketers and designers to create packaging designs that help save the environment. 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