Melinda vuole dire ... mordimi Melinda heisst ... beiss mich an Melinda ...

mordre pleines dents Melinda significa ... cmeme Melinda means ... eat me Melinda vuole dire ... mordimi Melinda heisst ... beiss mich an Melinda ... mordre pleines dents - Melinda significa ...

Concept: NITIDA IMMAGINE - CLES (TN)

Photo by: SANDRO de MANINCOR FLAVIO FAGANELLO (pagg. 4, 29) SIGISMONDO PELLEGRINI (pag. 30) Printed by: LITOTIPO ANAUNE Paper: elemental chlorine free guaranted

INDEX
Melinda... The territory The business The men The marketing department The apples Varietis Melas and Melabio Every bite... Packing Farming methods The picking Processing and ... The quality pag. 34 pag. 2 pag. 5 pag. 6 pag. 8 pag. 10 pag. 14 pag. 16 pag. 18 pag. 20 pag. 22 pag. 28 pag. 30 pag. 32

... the apple trademark

To produce first quality apples, sound and genuine, and bring the consumer close to Trentino products. Thats the main objective set up originally for itself and continues to pursue today.

Behind the trademark, well known and appreciated all over the world, is the rediscovery of old times taste and flavour, renewed every day by the commitment of over 5,000 farms, continuing the old culture and tradition of fruit growing according to natures ways.

The consortium, as you will probably know, is going through an important evolutionary phase, aimed at optimising the quality of our apples and our services through the whole chain, from producer to consumer. The four main points of the strategic plan launched over the next three years - the industrial project, the human resources reorganisation, an increased presence on the foreign market and a review of the varieties on offer -, have one single purpose: to create added value through excellence and quality all along the distribution chain, starting from our producers and, through you and your firms, all the way to the final consumer. A very ambitious challenge is facing us, but it can be won; we will do our best, pulling out all the stops, because we count on this to grow together in an increasingly dynamic market, which is oriented to quality in every sense. I cannot but wish all of you a very good year work with Melinda and all the best for you and your business.

...a territory with unique characteristics

The spirit shared by all Melinda producers comes from the love for tradition, a vocation for the land, respect for nature, and pride in ones work. All natural products, especially farming products, are strongly characterised by the territory of production. Melinda is produced in Val di Non, an Alpine valley placed between 600 and 1,000 metres altitude, rich in history and tradition and very much oriented towards high quality mountain farming. Situated in the heart of Trentino, the valley faces south and can count on rich water resources. These territory features and the special, unique microclimate wet in spring and dry in winter provide ideal conditions for apple growing.

... the business

The Melinda trademark was created in 1989 by 5,000 producers gathered into 16 co-operatives, to promote the Val di Non apples. Strength lies in unity, and Melinda is a witness to that. These small farms have found in mutual co-operation the way to grow and become protagonist, even on the global market scene.

BREZ

LIVO REV
Mostizzolo

CASEZ

CALDES

CLES

Sanzeno

RALLO TUENNO TASSULLO NANNO

Dermulo

COREDO

TAIO

SEGNO
CUNEVO DENNO CAMPODENNO

SPORMINORE
La Rocchetta

Mezzolombardo

Mezzocorona

A22
uscita autostrada S. Michele a. A.

... the men

We have already launched a three year programme aimed at further strengthening our human resources, with the creation of new positions and competences and the implementation of an ambitious plan for training and upgrading that will involve a considerable economic effort; we want Melindas men and women to be able to always interact in the best possible way with our partners and provide better and better information for Melinda consumers, for a more discerning and motivated choice.

Ferruccio Zanotelli
QUALITY MANAGER

2 SPECIALISTS

PERSONNEL ADMIN. COORDINATOR

Renato Cattani

3 ADMINISTRATION MANAGERS 3 PERSONNEL SUPERVISORS

FOREIGN SALES CONSULTANT 2 SALES EXECUTIVES EAST WEST AREA + TUSCANY ADRIATIC AREA + SARDINIA CENTRE - SOUTH AREA SICILY AREA LARGE-SCALE RETAILING EXPORT + TRENTINO AREA LOMBARDY + VERONA AREA

DIRETTORE GENERALE

Luca Granata

Fausto Bergamo
SALES MANAGER

PRODUCTION MANAGER, IN CHARGE OF ROOM A

Franco Paoli

ROOM B AND ROOM C SUPERVISORS 10 FACTORY SUPERVISORS 170 PERMANENT COLLABORATORS 1,100 SEASONAL COLLABORATORS

MARKETING MANAGER

Paola Zanella

1 MARKETING SPECIALIST 2 MARKET DEMAND SPECIALISTS A MONDOMELINDA MANAGER 1 RECEPTIONIST

... the marketing department

The philosophy behind our consortium is based on a constant pursuit of quality, also in the relationship with our business partners and our interaction with the market. Professional people and consultants who can offer the best, to satisfy our customers needs.

FAUSTO BERGAMO - direttore commerciale

RESPONSABILE AREA LOMBARDIA - PR. VERONA tel. (+39) 0463.671157 cell. (+39) 335.6978370 E-mail: fausto.bergamo@melinda.it

MICHELE ROSANI
ASSISTENTE tel. (+39) 0463.671159

Fax (+39) 0463.671155 - E-mail: lombardia@melinda.it

DARIO BARBI
RESPONSABILE AREA EST - OVEST E TOSCANA tel. (+39) 0463.671154 cell. (+39) 335.6978361

LETIZIA DEROMEDI
ASSISTENTE tel. (+39) 0463.671152

Fax (+39) 0463.671150 - E-mail: est-ovest@melinda.it

GIOVANNI DALSASS
RESPONSABILE AREA ADRIATICA E SARDEGNA tel. (+39) 0463.671167 cell. (+39) 335.6978371

EFREM CHINI
ASSISTENTE tel. (+39) 0463.671169

Fax (+39) 0463.671165 - E-mail: adriatica@melinda.it

FRANCO BRANZ
RESPONSABILE AREA CENTRO SUD tel. (+39) 0463.671172 cell. (+39) 335.6978363

TOSCA LUCHI
ASSISTENTE tel. (+39) 0463.671174

Fax (+39) 0463.671170 - E-mail: centro-sud@melinda.it

GIANLUCA DOLZANI
RESPONSABILE AREA SICILIA tel. (+39) 0463.671159 cell. (+39) 335.7066929

MICHELE ROSANI
ASSISTENTE tel. (+39) 0463.671159

Fax (+39) 0463.671155 - E-mail: gianluca.dolzani@melinda.it

ERMANNO FERLAZZO
RESPONSABILE GRANDE DISTRIBUZIONE tel. (+39) 0463.671179 cell. (+39) 335.6859999

PIETRO PRETI
ASSISTENTE tel. (+39) 0463.671177

Fax (+39) 0463.671175 - E-mail: grande-distribuzione@melinda.it

Fax +39 0463.671180 - E-mail: export@melinda.it

OFFICE

OLIVIERO FEDRIZZI
tel. +39 0463.671182 cell. +39 335.6978369

ROBERTO GORZA
tel. +39 0463.671185 cell. +39 335.7066916

ERVIN MOSCA
tel. +39 0463.671184 cell. +39 335.7066923

...the apples
Over 45 million tons of apples are produced all over the world. Italy, leader in Europe together with France, puts on the market about 2 million tons. Of these, one tenth bear the Melinda trademark. They are red, yellow, green, bitter, sweet or slightly sour, crisp or coarse, to eat fresh, in fancy salads or delicious cakes. 85% of Italians love this fruit, and 56% of them prefer Melinda, acknowledging its superior quality.

Melinda means... Eat me!

For an apple to bear the Melinda trademark, it must pass several exams which ensure its top quality from all points of view. A Melinda apple must not only be good but also nice to look at and thoroughly sound.

The apples currently produced and marketed by the Melinda Consortium are nearly 80% Golden Delicious, 11% Canadian Rennet and 8.5% Red Delicious, plus a few minor varieties like Morgenduft, Janagold and Gala. There are plans to soon review the apple varieties grown by the Consortium: they will include a cut in the areas dedicated to Golden Delicious, to be replaced by other varieties like Fuji and Gala, in response to present and future market demands.

Our current production:

GOLDEN DELICIOUS
Its slender, elongated shape and the deep yellow peel make Golden Delicious tempting and appetising. Its interesting to note that apples of this variety which come from the Val di Non take up a reddish colour on the side more exposed to the sun. The taste of Golden Delicious is sweet and aromatic, the flesh exquisite, crunchy and juicy. Size 65/70 mm 80/85 mm 70/75 mm 85/90 mm 75/80 mm 90/95 mm

RED DELICIOUS
This is the red apple of Snow Whites fairy tale, recognisable not only by its colour but also its slightly elongated shape and the five bumps at the bottom. Its flesh is exquisite and crunchy, with a sweet, aromatic taste. Size 65/70 mm 80/85 mm 70/75 mm 85/90 mm 75/80 mm 90/95 mm

ROYAL GALA
Recently introduced and grown in Trentino, this apple stands out from the rest for its precocious maturation, making it almost a summer variety. The fruit is quite attractive and offers a compact flesh, very crunchy and juicy, with a sweet and pleasantly aromatic taste. Size 60/65 mm 75/80 mm 65/70 mm 80/85 mm 70/75 mm

RENETTA CANADA
Rennet apples are certainly the least attractive ones because of their rough, rusty green peel. Their outer look is in total contrast with the soft flesh and the intensely scented, slightly sour flavour. They deliver a good performance in the kitchen, as they keep their consistency when cooked. Size 70/75 mm 85/90 mm 75/80 mm 90/95 mm 80/85 mm 95/100 mm

Sometimes, even in Val di Non, nature is not too friendly, and hail and speckling mark the fruit of our labour. In this case, apples presenting small flaws but with the unaltered taste and goodness of their bigger sisters become MelaS.

GOLDEN DELICIOUS

RED DELICIOUS

BIO
Organic farming is now a big market reality. Melinda, always attentive to market changes, has decided to invest also in this direction, in order to meet the new demand. At the moment, the Melinda Bio production amounts to roughly 70 tons (including certified product and the one being converted) between golden, stark and rennet apples, but we anticipate getting in a few years time to at least 5,000 tons of apples grown according to organic protocols.

RENETTA CANADA

ROYAL GALA

every bite...
Food habits are always evolving. Meals out, for example, are notoriously increasing, as is the tendency for consumers to have snacks in between meals, often with ready packed fruit and vegetables. Melinda, forever trying to identify and if possible anticipate consumer needs, has set up, in its marketing and R&D department, a team working on product renewal projects, to study the opportunities offered from applederived products and from innovative packaging and

distribution.

We have recently created Melinda Juice, to be distributed from October 2002 all over Italy. Its a Melinda squash with...nothing else! No water, no sugars, no preservatives or additives of any kind. Just 2.5 Melindas squashed into a 200 cc bottle, with nothing else added. Thats why the head-line used to promote the product is Melinda Juice: every sip, a bite. It is, incidentally, the pure fruit juice with the lowest calories content (44 Kcal/100 cc). Melinda Juice will soon be available also in the cheaper 750 cc family pack.

Other products are already nearing completion: Melinda Fresh (one Melinda, washed and ready for a bite) and Melinda Snack (40 gr. Melinda with peel and core taken away, sliced and dehydrated: 180 Kcal of natural sugars and vegetable fibre, with no additives or chemicals of any kind. Ideal for those who practise sports or just want to enjoy at school, at work, on route or at home a nice and healthy snack).

Packing

CASSA MAXPACK
Base 30 cm. x 50 cm. Peso 14 Kg.

CARTONE 2 STRATI
Base 40 cm. x 60 cm. Peso 13 Kg.

%
CARTONE 1 STRATO
Base 40 cm. x 60 cm. Peso 7 Kg.

CARTONE 2 STRATI
Base 30 cm. x 50 cm. Peso ca. 8 kg

CARTONE 1 STRATO
Base 30 cm. x 50 cm. Peso ca. 4 kg

CARTONE 1 STRATO
Base 30 cm. x 40 cm. Peso ca. 3 kg

CARTONE 1 STRATO
Base 25 cm. x 40 cm. Peso ca. 2 kg

SCATOLA 1 FRUTTO

VASSOIO 4 FRUTTI

VASSOIO 6 FRUTTI

SACCHETTO 2 Kg.

BORSA TERMOSALDATA
Peso 2 kg

SCATOLA AMERICANA
Base 40 cm. x 60 cm. Peso ca. 20 kg

SCATOLA AMERICANA CON COPERCHIO

Base 40 cm. x 60 cm. Peso ca. 20 kg

TRAY PACK
Base 30 cm. x 50 cm. Peso 18 Kg.

CASSA PLASTICA 2 STRATI

IFCO - CHEP - CPR - STECO Base 40 cm. x 60 cm. Peso ca. 13 kg

CASSA PLASTICA 1 STRATO

IFCO - CHEP - CPR - STECO Base 40 cm. x 60 cm. Peso ca. 7 kg

MINIBINS
Base 80 cm. x 120 cm. Peso ca. 100 kg

...farming methods
Melinda reserves special attention to farming methods which help the environment and enhance biodiversity. Our aim is to favour natural evolution and stimulate animal and vegetable life in the orchard; the strategies and operations involved in this type of farming are numerous and of various nature:
THE CHOICE OF APPLE VARIETY: Melinda, together with the producers associations, identifies market requirements and therefore production aims. Within these objectives, the choice of variety is then taken according to the nature and suitability of the production area. GROWING AND PRUNING: during the growing stage, we try to have the tree crown take up a functional shape, both as regards plants requirements (maximum exposure to sunlight) and farming requirements (pruning, picking, etc.) INTEGRATED PRODUCTION: The concept of integrated production includes the introduction and use of all possible instruments to achieve the best results for the product, the producer and the whole environment. By protecting the trees we can safeguard production from the damage and loss caused by pests, insects and parasites, and so reduce to the very minimum the use of phytosanitary products. This can only be achieved through the harmonic integration of farming techniques and biotechnology.

...the picking A feast that every year comes alive again in the colours of autumn, in the joyous work of those who reap the fruit of a year long labour, made of sacrifices, passion and love for the land. This is the ancient coidura (apple picking) rite, for decades now celebrated in the rich fields of Val di Non, gathering families and friends in the apple picking work, nowadays extended to large number of workers from the four corners of the world. Thats a new element added to a key moment in the complex productive cycle of one of Val di Non symbols, an apple known all over the world and appreciated for its exceptional quality.

Apples give the best in terms of organoleptic properties and dietary value only when they are picked at the right time. The optimal picking time, meaning the period of time between the start and the end of the actual picking, is identified for each area and apple variety directly on the field, using the starch and consistency tests, added to lab analyses on the refractometric residue (sugars) and acidity. A considerable organisation of labour within the farm is required in order to do all the picking at the right time, but this is essential in order to offer the best possible product to the customer and the final consumer.

 processing and preservation

The attention devoted by Melinda to all stages of apple production, processing and preservation is a real plus in the quality offer that only Melinda can make to its consumers. Such great results can only be achieved through a constant, painstaking commitment, with the help of the most modern technology, and by being constantly intent on exploiting new discoveries in the sector. That is how Melinda manages to keep in its cold stores a huge amount of apples, about 250,000 tons. Of these, 245,000 tons are kept in a controlled atmosphere condition, and 5,000 tons at normal refrigerating standards: advanced technology, continuously updated, to work, select and package the apples in order to bring to every consumers table a product of absolute quality.

Our quality policy

While co-operative spirit in Trentino can claim a century old tradition, the need to certify apple origin and production is much more recent. The idea to create an apple trademark came about at the end of the Eighties, as an answer of our fruit farmers to the presence on the Italian market of a variety of apples, known as Val di Non apples, in quantities that were about three times the actual valley production. In 1989 the 5,200 members of the 16 apple-producing co-operatives in Val di Non and Val di Sole got together to establish a common project: this was the beginning of the future Melinda Consortium. Since then, our approach towards quality has remained the same, based on 7 main points:

to satisfy our customers and the final consumer with a quality product and a reliable service, a business approach oriented at the market, a careful monitoring of market demand and of the evolving taste

to strengthen the farming chain by always involving our farmers members

to set up long term relationships with our suppliers, based on loyalty and trust

to encourage interdepartmental communication: our organisation is like a living system and our work is interdependent and functional to that of others

to increase the knowledge and competence of the men and women in the consortium

to take decisions based on the analysis of information received, to strengthen the value, transparency and credibility of the whole organisation

to keep a quality system documented according to the ISO 9001 international standard, in order to increase market confidence in our capacity to meet set standards.

ISO Certification
In a competitive market, only the best can win. Thats why the certification of business management as regards quality, environment and safety is so important. Through it is defined an operative scheme that allows to build the businesss future on firmer ground, and to conform to European and international regulations. Thats the reason why the Melinda Consortium has asked and obtained from CSQA, on 27 July 2001, the UNI EN ISO 9001:2000 certification (cert. No 889) for the preservation, processing and sale of the apples produced by its members. CSQA is a certification body specialised in the farming and farmed food sector and is part of the CISQ federation, which in turn is a member of IQNet, the largest international network of certification bodies. Any business receiving a CSQA certificate obtains also automatically the IQNet certificate, which confers international validity to it.

Consorzio Melinda SCARL Via Trento 200/9 38023 Cles (TN) Tel. +39 0463 671111 Fax +39 0463 671121 e-mail: info@melinda.it www.melinda.it

Thanks:
Assessorato allAgricoltura della Provincia Autonoma di Trento

and
AVN Sanzeno COBA Denno COCEA Taio - Segno C.F.C. Cles COFSAC Caldes COL Sporminore CONT Cunevo FAT Tuenno SABAC Brez SARC Tassullo SCAF Livo SFC Campodenno TERZA SPONDA Rev U.F. COREDO Coredo U.F. RALLO Tassullo UNIFRUTTA Nanno

note