New 24/7 factory and expanded product range to supply global markets
ortas canning and Refrigerating Co., an export-oriented food producer, has intensified its focus on overseas sales and. The company’s major export markets include the USA, Canada, Australia, Europe, and Arab countries. “We will expand our sales in France and we will enter new European markets such as the Netherlands,” he said. Cortas moved to its new factory in 2020 amid the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic and reached full production by September of the same year. “The factory operates round-the-clock. It has increased our production capacity by 25 percent,” Battikha said. It includes five production lines: Tahini and halva, distilled flavored waters such as rose water and mint water, molasses, canned food (dips, beans, and vegetables), and jams. Cortas launched last year a new ‘Ready to Eat’ product line consisting of Lebanese traditional dishes such as Loubieh Bzeit (green beans cooked in olive oil) and Mousaka’a Batinjan (cooked eggplant and chickpeas). “It mainly targets Western consumers who appreciate Middle Eastern cuisine but don’t know how to cook these food recipes,” Battikha said. Being plant-based, preservative and gluten free, it meets demand for health-conscious and vegan consumers. The company is also marketing this product range through Amazon for the North American market. In July this year, Cortas introduced even more products including cherry molasses and a sugar-free version of its pomegranate molasses.
