Cocoa processing plant now officially in operation

Our cocoa processing plant has had its organic and Fairtrade certification since April and has been officially in operation since June. For the first time we have succeeded in producing the full range of products – cocoa mass, cocoa butter and cocoa powder – of the highest quality. Our cocoa processing engineer Kevin Katy, who has been a member of the PRONATEC team since March, gave us an insight into his work and his motivation for making organic and fairly produced semi-finished cocoa products.

Over the last few months, we have successfully put Switzerland’s first 100% organic cocoa processing plant into operation. Now all the processes are fully integrated and everything is working perfectly.

Step-by-step commissioning of all processes

Commissioning has been taking place since February, machine by machine along the production line.

-          Cleaning the cocoa beans, cracking them and separating them from the shell
-          Roasting the nibs
-          Grinding the nibs into cocoa mass
-          Pressing the cocoa butter out of the cocoa mass and deodorising it
-          Grinding the press cakes into cocoa powder
-          Packing

Throughout the commissioning process, our internal QA lab provided our engineers with vitally important data to enable all the processes to be coordinated and the system parameters precisely defined. We have been producing top-quality cocoa mass, cocoa butter and cocoa powder since April, some of it delivered in liquid form, and we are receiving positive feedback from our customers. The processing of customers’ own cocoa beans under contract (tolling) is also going well, with our first orders received in June.

Officially organic and Fairtrade certified
In the middle of April we successfully passed the audits for Bio Suisse, Demeter, CH organic/EU organic, USDA organic (NOP), Naturland, Fairtrade, Fair for life and kosher products. We are delighted that PRONATEC Swiss Cocoa Production is now officially organic and Fairtrade certified! Our production site also successfully completed phase 1 of the FSSC 22000 certification process in April.

Interview with our cocoa processing engineer
Since March 2022, Kevin Katy has been helping our Plant General Manager Yannick Rihs with providing training in how to use the processing technology, with developing recipes and roasting profiles and with planning future production. Kevin used to be in charge of a Cocoa Competence Centre in West Africa and brings vast experience in research & development, QA, recipe development and process improvement, thanks to his work with the major cocoa processors on the Ivory Coast.

Kevin, what have you liked best about your new job so far?
I am very impressed by PRONATEC’s ethos of producing only organic products, processing raw ingredients from sustainable sources and shortening delivery routes – because that all increases the producers’ income. I come from West Africa, where about 70% of the world’s cocoa is produced, making the region the biggest player in the cocoa market anywhere in the world. In this quite poor region, matters such as climate change and fair pay are of existential importance. Through my work at PRONATEC, I hope to do my bit to help improve the lives of people there and of other producers in the cocoa business.

However, there was also a personal aspect to my decision to work for PRONATEC. For a number of years, I have been living apart from my family who are based in Paris. I used to be able to visit them from time to time in the past, but because of the Covid crisis, it became really difficult for us to see each other at all. It was a very hard time for us all, but especially for my children. Now they are relieved to know that I am much closer to them and so I can see them much more often.

What do you particularly like about our cocoa processing plant?
The plant in Beringen is one of the best that I have ever seen in my career so far. It’s really all of a very high standard, in its construction and its equipment. It seems to me that no aspect has been overlooked, be that food safety, the safety of people and machinery, traceability or waste water management. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate everyone involved.

  

I find the concept of à la carte production very interesting. It shows us to be an innovative and flexible service provider. I think it enables us to distinguish ourselves from what used to be the norm in this sector before.

Did you get off to a good start in the team?
When I started the job in March, I was given a warm and friendly welcome by the entire team. I am highly motivated to do my very best to support the whole production team. Even though I have a lot of experience in cocoa processing, I must admit that purely organic production is something new for me, too. But I’m relying on my extensive experience and I’m very open to learning new things. That’s what’s so great about this job – you can learn something new at every opportunity. There is virtually nothing routine about it and I come to work with an open mind.

Thank you very much, Kevin, for your friendly answers and we wish you continued success!

In the next Newsletter, our Head of Quality Control, Samuel Hanimann, will introduce the important work of the PRONATEC QA team.