ZIMBABWE – National Foods Limited, a leading agri-industrial company in Zimbabwe has been crowned the Company of the Year Award alongside other three recognitions for their remarkable new products at the Africa Food Awards 2023.
The company, which is Zimbabwe’s leading food processor and listed on the Victoria Falls Stock Exchange (VFEX), has continued with its ongoing capacity expansion initiatives with over 110 products for the domestic and international markets.
The company prides itself in playing a vital role in feeding the nation as an invaluable support unit in helping government ensure there is food security.
Francis Juma, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of FW Africa, the organizer of the awards commended the company and congratulated the business for its resilience.
“Following the difficulties that Zimbabwe has gone through in the past three decades, National Foods is one of the companies that has stood the test of time and flown the flag of Zim higher hence it deserves to be honored as the African Company of the Year 2023,” Juma said.
According to National Foods, the business would not rest on its oars despite increasing competition in the milling sector.
“Having been in the milling industry for over 100 years, we are diversifying to stock feeds and baking business to remain relevant in the business following the increased competition.”
“We are the biggest company that feeds the nation and we are committed to not only feeding but also improving the welfare of Zimbabweans by adding value to their agricultural produce. Very soon you will see more products from us.” Nat Foods said.
Nat Foods bags three New Product of the Year awards
During the same ceremony, Nat Foods was thrilled to have its products Pearlenta Smart Carbs Instant porridge, Pearlenta Nutri Active, and Organica Plant-based meal crowned with prestigious New Products of the Year Awards.
Receiving the Awards, National Foods representative Leslie Malunga said that the three products are part of the company’s efforts in innovation to meet consumer demands.
According to Nat Foods, their strategy focuses on nutrition and convenience in a quest to ensure busy mums can feed their families nutritionally within their busy schedules, hence instant product innovations.
“We look at nutrition and convenience during our innovations. What we realized is that most of our mothers don’t have enough time to prepare nutritious meals which takes a lot of time. To bridge this need, most of our products are instant requiring less than 5 minutes to cook.”
Pearlenta Smart Carbs Instant porridge is made from indigenous raw materials such as Sorghum, Baobab fruit and Finger millet is the first of its kind in Zimbabwe.
According to the company, the Smart-Carbs range has no sugar added across all products which gives an advantage over other competitor Instant porridge producers in the country. The product has a first-to-market advantage.
Pearlenta Nutri Active, on the other hand, is an instant cereal manufactured using extrusion technology. Nat Food revealed that the sought-after cereal product utilizes special ingredients such as Buckwheat and encapsulated flavoring agents
Whilst flakes have generally been manufactured using the roller dryer method, the entry of these unique cereals into the Zim market has been met with high applause for their unique texture and taste profile.
According to the company, across the Zimbabwean market, Flakes and Instant cereals are generally perceived as unaffordable and the goal was to produce the best quality product at the most affordable price for the average Zimbabwean, hence the tag-line ‘BREAKFAST IS ABOUT TO GET BETTER’.
Organica Plant-based meal also received the award as the first product on the Zimbabwean market of its kind. With a combination of Soya mince and dried vegetables, the product defies the traditional Soya Chunks currently flooded on the market.
The Africa Food Awards took place during the Africa Food Industry Week, which consists of high-level events such as the Africa Sustainability Symposium, AFMASS Food Expo, and the Africa Food Safety Summit, all held in Nairobi, Kenya.
For all the latest grains industry news from Africa, the Middle East and the World, subscribe to our weekly NEWSLETTERS, follow us on LinkedIn and subscribe to our YouTube channel
