4 Tunisian harissa companies with “Food Quality Label Tunisia” are participating in the Alimentaria Trade Show in Barcelona from April 16 to 19, 2018 with the support of the Group of Food Conservative Industries (GICA). The companies exhibit on the stand of FIPA Tunisia (Tunisian Agency for the Promotion of Foreign Investment), which presents at the show Tunisian agri-food products with high added value in order to promote new investment and partnership opportunities.
In Tunisia, labels for local products are starting to make their way. Now harissa, the national flagship product par excellence, is protected by a quality label launched by the Ministry of Industry and SMEs and managed by the Groupement des Canned Food Industries (GICA) .Seven Tunisian brands are already certified with the “Food Quality Label Tunisia” (www.tunisian-harissa.com). In 2017, their production accounted for more than one third of the national harissa production.
With the support of the Tunisian Agency for the Promotion of Foreign Investment (FIPA) and GICA, four labeled companies participate in a joint stand from 16 to 19 April 2018 at the food show ALIMENTARIA in Barcelona, Spain, to publicize the harissa Tunisian to potential customers. For four days visitors have the opportunity to participate in tasting sessions led by a Spanish chef to discover the different uses of harissa in cooked dishes to enhance the taste of Spanish tapas.
The “Food Quality Label Tunisia” which is on the boxes of certified Tunisian harissa is a guarantee of the origin of the product, the traditional recipe and especially the quality and the freshness of its ingredients. The quality label also contributes to set up a better organization at the level of the sector and an equitable remuneration for Tunisian farmers. This approach encouraged pepper producers to apply the selection criteria justifying price increases of 25% on the selling price. The certified harissa is marketed in Tunisia and exported to Europe, Canada and soon to the United States.
Since the launch of the “Food Quality Label”, international promotion activities for harissa have multiplied and diversified. The new label has already been presented to the general public in several countries of the European Union as well as in the United States and Russia. A dynamic of collaboration under the Tunisian flag has been consolidated since 2015 among certified harissa companies. Labeled harissa companies are already participating for the second time at the ALIMENTARIA exhibition in Barcelona in a joint stand dedicated to harissa certified quality. The sardines in olive oil with the “Food Quality Label Tunisia” are also exposed to ALIMENTARIA lounge.
The taste of the recipes with “Food Quality Label Tunisia” is very appreciated by the consumers. The harissa and sardine companies that present their products at the ALIMENTARIA have won medals for the products labeled in the 1st edition of the Tunisian Contest for Local Products (www.concours-terroir.tn) held in December 2017 under the leadership of the Agency for the Promotion of Agricultural Investments.
The management of the “Food Quality Label Tunisia” for the harissa as well as its promotion are ensured by the Group of the Industries of the Preserved Foods (GICA) with the support of the Project of Access to Markets of the Agrifood Products and Earth (PAMPAT). PAMPAT is funded by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and managed by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) in collaboration with the Ministry of Industry and SMEs and the Ministry of Agriculture.
The participation in the Salon ALIMENTARIA in Barcelona will allow labialized Tunisian companies to identify new opportunities for partnership and commercialization of their product internationally.