Magazine: Well, are we allowed to like it or not?

According to Norbert Káhn, director of commerce at Gyermely Zrt. 4- and 8-egg pastas keep dominating the market, but at the same there is also a shift in the direction of cheaper products (pastas with lower egg content and durum pastas). Pasta is healthy, it can be prepared quickly and in many ways. What is more, pasta made with egg contains various vitamins, minerals and easily digestible proteins that make it really valuable. In the light of these facts it is difficult to comprehend why pasta is hardly recommended in feeding children. János Puskás, sales director of Família Pasta Kft. told about the company that they traditionally focus on products made with egg. At the same time they also keep expanding their offering of durum pastas. Their experience is that the number one product choice factor is still frequently the price. With the changes in public catering regulations they expect a bit of an upsurge for quality products. Anita Hajduné Reinwald, key account director of Mary-ker Pasta Kft. is of the opinion that the gastro segment prefers durum pastas, thanks to the healthy eating trend. The company has recently updated the technology they use and can now meet all the expectations of the gastro segment too. The company’s view is that new public catering law creates an advantage for cheaper but healthier eating. However, this may also result in lower sales of manufacturers as the law limits weekly pasta consumption. Zsolt Juhász, head of commerce with Izsáki Home Pasta Kft. reckons that the domestic pasta market is stable in terms of both quantity and variety. He thinks that the domain of public catering is contradictory: for instance prisons have a big enough budget to buy quality products but crèches, kindergartens and schools only have money for poor quality products available through tendering. Tendering in public catering is still characterised by the supremacy of price and uncertain paying capacity. Quality and trade concerns are often put aside by the reality of the budget available. Thanks to its new mill, Gyermely uses its own ground durum wheat for making Vita Pasta products and continues with its fresh pasta project too. In the future they will emphasise that Gyermely pastas are Hungarian by using a new trademark on products. Mary-ker is testing new recipes at the moment as they know that innovation is key in a world where consumer demand and legal regulations keep changing. They have also made their products partner-specific. Família Pasta Kft. will soon put a new product line in the market, developed in accordance with the requirements of the Good Cafeteria programme in mind. If these products will be received well in the public catering sector they may later appear on store shelves too. Izsáki Home Pasta Kft. opines that the only way out of the recession is innovation. Soon their products will get a new look and a new packaging (both material- and technology-wise). They are also working on gluten-free pasta, produced in a separate factory using closed technology.