Messem produces frozen strawberries, as well as other fruits, for the global food industry. Strawberries are the company’s key product and are sold in slices, halves, cubes and irregular quarters, suiting them to individual customer needs. CEO Jan Sevenhuysen and Sustainability Manager Douae Lamrahli discussed the company’s achievements and sustainability standards. Report by Antonia Cole.
ASa company relying on agriculture, sustainability is at the heart of Messem’s operations, CEO Jan Sevenhuysen said: “We focus on the field, as well as workers and the surrounding environment. There are five values that guide our operations: transparency, engagement, organisation, sharing and security. Through these we are able to run an operation that supports everyone.”
Messem has an office based in the Netherlands and a factory based in Morocco. The latter location benefits from extremely fertile soil, producing high-quality fruits. As well as individually quick frozen (IQF) strawberries, Messem also manufactures blueberries, melon, orange segments, lemon wedges and kiwi.
The factory was able to manage a capacity of approximately 5,000 tonnes when it was built in 1995. Now, Messem
has expanded and developed the functionality of the factory to process 18,000 tonnes of fruit per season. The company’s operation has expanded significantly over the years and Messem has the capability to continue this growth.
Between March and July, the company purchases around 15,000 tonnes of strawberries from a range of 120 to 150 farmers and processes them. Within the peak of this season, the company employs upto 2,400 people.
Messem has high standards of environmental and consumer protection, therefore it only selects farmers who use pesticides accordingly. As the company serves
a global market, it is important to ensure a traceability of products that can guarantee compliance with various legal requirements on pesticide residues.
Rooted in quality
There are four different stages in Messem’s process of creating frozen strawberries. Firstly, strawberries are manually destemmed and inspected. This individual attention to detail makes certain that all strawberries are of a good quality before they reach the next stage. The strawberries are washed then either diced, sliced or quartered depending upon customer requirements.
After the strawberries are cleaned and shaped accordingly, they are then individually quick frozen. The IQF process is effective as it maintains the quality of the fruit, preserving the structure, colour, flavour and aroma, and increases the fruit’s longevity. This means that seasonal fruits can become available all year round. As the fruits are frozen individually, the process only takes a short time, and they can be portioned easier.
Then, the strawberries undergo another quality inspection before they are packed into cardboard boxes and shipped to customers around the world or to Messem’s cold storage facilities in the Netherlands. Additionally, strawberries can be statically frozen with sugar if the client requests it.
“The whole process is quite simple and brief,” explained Mr Sevenhuysen. “This minimises errors and creates an effective system. We are very focused on quality control and have people who are solely responsible for monitoring the conditions of our products and techniques, giving us consistent standards.”
Messem’s central distribution point is in the Netherlands, due to the country’s connections to the rest of Europe, as well as North America and Asia. The company strives to guarantee effective and efficient delivery services, working with reputable logistic partners to satisfy customer needs. Certificates of analysis, batch data and third-party inspection reports accompany all deliveries to ensure a confidence in Messem’s products.
“Before they place their first order, clients already know us very well due to our presence within the industry,” continued Mr Sevenhuysen. “We serve markets from around the world, and they can all be confident in our quality control.”
Fruits of labour
Messem operates in a way that supports employees, farmers, communities and the environment. The company has five pillars of sustainability that allow it to achieve this. These sustainability pillars guide all Messem’s efforts and initiatives, aligning closely with the United Nations Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs). Firstly, the company focuses on compliance with social legislation, ensuring fair treatment and proper training for farmers and the field workers.
“We have achieved a lot in terms of helping our farmers,” said Sustainability Manager Douae Lamrahli. “103 farm workers have received first aid training and a first aid kit, 295 have received a medical examination, and 125 have received pesticide safety training. This all combines to ensure our farmers’ well-being and health.”
The reduction of chemical residues is another key pillar of Messem’s sustainability efforts. The company supports farmers' businesses and enhances the financial growth of farms, thereby promoting economics; farming as a business. Messem has established five model farms to educate farmers on improving their economic situations and identifying areas for efficiency improvements.
Messem’s commitment to the improvement of biodiversity in the soil
and the reduction of environmental pollution is evident in its efforts to decrease agrochemical usage. These measures not only increase fruit yield, but also protect the environment.
Since 2017, Messem has been working to minimise plastic litter on fields, recycling over 700 tonnes.
These sustainability pillars are closely linked to the SDGs, supporting global efforts for a sustainable future.
Messem does not achieve these goals alone, but in collaboration with partners, including customers such as Danone and Erlenbacher, industry colleagues like Felgar, Frigodar, Driscolls and Iberry, plus agro suppliers such as Koppert, Agrimatco and Elephant Vert. This is as well as authorities and industry organisations like Interproberry and ONSSA. Messem also works closely with science centres including INRA and various universities, along with consultants from GIZ. These collective efforts drive progress and sustainability in all of Messem’s initiatives
Planting positive seeds
Sustainability and social compliance are really important to Messem, explained Mr Sevenhuysen: “We not only incorporate them into our own operations, but we have been closely collaborating with local partners and organisations to continue to improve the industry as a whole. The safety and wellbeing of people and the environment is essential to us, and we will continue to implement measures that support this.”
To guarantee future supply sources, Messem chooses to work not only with large and professional growers, but with smaller fruit suppliers as well. This allows the company to provide the necessary help to those who need it and build a more sustainable industry. Messem creates very close relationships with farmers, offering training opportunities and engaging in field visits to continuously support them.
The company has already achieved a lot in terms of improving industry standards. Workers in the fields (for more than 90%
female) are now being paid social security. Looking towards the future, Messem also hopes to have 80% of farmers have a silver degree of the FSA sustainability rating by next season.
“It’s great to have a positive impact on people,” said Ms Lamrahli, in conclusion.
“At Messem, we can really see the difference we’re making within communities and for the environment. I love being a part of something that’s changing the industry for good. n
