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IFEAT STUDY TOUR OF ITALY 2009

Peter Greenhalgh

pgifeat@yahoo.co.uk

Introduction

On Sunday February 22nd

the 28 members of the IFEAT Study Tour arrived in Palermo

adding to Sicily’s long list of invaders that have included the Greeks, Romans, Normans,

Spanish, Arabs, Phoenicians, and Carthaginians. However, the objective of the 12

nationalities that made up the IFEAT Group was not to conquer but to learn. In the course of

6 days the Group gained an intimate knowledge of the production and trading of citrus

essential oils in southern Italy, as well as being enlightened about several other related issues

including:

• product and processing innovations and extraction equipment upgrades;

• technical advances being made in analysing essential oil constituents;

• the growing importance of organic essential oils and their certification;

• the expanding range of citrus speciality products;

• agronomic techniques and traceability;

• the impact of EU health and safety regulations, including the development of

furocoumarin and pesticide reduced products;

• citrus fruit market liberalisation following the recent reduction in EU subsidies and

the growth of the fresh fruit market;

• purchasing arrangements with local producers.

Alongside the knowledge

acquired from visits and

discussions with 10 different

essential oil processing and citrus

growing organisations, another

important benefit was the

interaction and networking

between Group members.

Alongside this report which will

be posted on the IFEAT website

(www.ifeat.org) a report on the

Study Tour was included in the

March 2009 issue of IFEAT

World and a presentation will be

made on October 20th 2009 at

the IFEAT Conference in

Shanghai.

The Group was very appreciative of the support and hospitality of our Italian hosts in making

an exhausting tour most educational and memorable. In more than achieving its objectives the

Group has to thank the efforts of the IFEAT Local Organising Committee, especially

Antonella Corleone and the Ferraras, Capuas, Caratozzolos, Stracuzzis, Misitanos, Alberto

Arrigo and members of the Analytical Food Chemistry Group at the University of Messina.

The tour operator, Tagliavia and Company, made many of the arrangements and provided a

multilingual Tour Guide (Linda Incandela) and driver (Nino Albano) whose driving skills on

the narrow streets and lanes of southern Italy elicited spontaneous applause on several

occasions. Fortunately there were no spontaneous eruptions from snow-covered Mount Etna,

which provided a beautiful backdrop to the final three days of the Tour (when the clouds

lifted). Each day saw a full programme of activities lasting from early morning until late

evening, which combined with staying at 4 hotels in 6 days left little time for shopping!

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Italian Citrus

Citrus fruits were introduced to Sicily in the 10th

century, but different varieties continued to

be brought from different parts of the world, and citrus production became a very important

aspect of the Sicilian economy. Sicily now accounts for over 50% of Italian citrus fruit farms.

Today, Sicily with a surface area of 25,460 sq km (of which according to Eurostat some

46,700 hectares are orange orchards and 17,600 hectares are lemon – see Table 1). Sicily is

the world’s largest producer of blood oranges and a major source of lemons. It also produces

the high quality mandarins, clementines and oranges Amare. Its geographical position and its

temperate climate favours the production of

these citrus fruits particularly sought after

because of their characteristics.

Source: Stracuzzi (IFEAT Lisbon Conference 2004)

The map shows the various citrus growing districts according to fruit cultivar in Sicily and

Calabria. The Calabria region is the world’s largest producer of bergamot.

Table 1: EU Citrus Area

Area under Trees

(‘000 ha)

Orange Lemon Small fruit citrus

EU 252.1 68.0 149.6

Italy 76.0 17.6 28.4

Sicily 46.7 15.3 6.3

Source: Eurostat

Citrus Seasons and Varieties

The citrus production season starts in early October and continues uninterrupted until the end

of July. Further work may take place later during the months of August and September using

the summer harvest of lemons, known as "Verdelli", although the quantity available at this

time is much lower (ca. 10%). The first fruit to be processed is the green mandarin, (using

Pelatrice extractors), for only three weeks in late September to early-mid October. As the

yellow mandarin fruits ripen they are processed into the yellow oil (Torchio/Sfumatrice

extractors). November also sees the first winter lemons called primofiore being processed.

Early December the mandarin ripens further and are processed (still Torchio machinery) into

the reddish fruits giving the reddish oil. Oranges, Biondo Comune and Tarocco start in

December lasting until late March. Bergamot production starts in early December (Pelatrice

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machinery) and can last until the end of February/early March. December is the start of the

full production of winter lemon, which lasts until late March, as does red mandarin

production. January, February and March are the months of the blood oranges together with

lemons and with the later varieties of mandarins called ‘ciaculli’.

The citron fruit, produced from the cédratier tree, is a close relative of the lemon is grown in

the Diamante area in north Calabria as well as Sicily. They are picked in January until March

for the preparation of the candy fruits and a small portion of them are processed (Pelatrice

Special). The petitgrains are produced at the end of the fruit collection when trees are cleaned

and branches cut (April for the mandarin and lemon trees, a little later for the bitter orange

trees). A summer production of lemon takes place in June/July.

Source: Best s.r.l.

Sicily and Calabria are major producers of blood oranges and lemons, as well as good quality

mandarins, clementines, bergamot and other orange varieties. Production of lemon, bergamot

and mandarin oils in 2008/09 is estimated at 600 tonnes, 70 tonnes and 55 tonnes respectively

(see Table 2). Production levels are very much influenced by climatic conditions. Citrus

production starts in early October and continues uninterrupted until the end of July. The

varieties available for industrial transformation are: Lemons: Femminello, Monachello; Blood

Oranges: Tarocco, Sanguigno, Sanguinello, Moro; Oranges Blond: Blond City, Oval, Navel,

Valencia and Navelina; Mandarins: Avana and late Ciaculli.

Table 2: Production of Bergamot, Lemon and Mandarin Oils

Bergamot Lemon Mandarin

1999/2000 50 764 91

2000/2001 130 753 176

2001/2002 90 620 102

2002/2003 120 680 97

2003/2004 65 690 105

2004/2005 135 475 90

2005/2006 95 700 95

2006/2007 80 750 80

2007/2008 55 450 35

2008/2009 70 600 55

Source: Cilione s.r.l

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Bergamot

There are an estimated 1,200 – 1,300 hectares (ha) of bergamot under cultivation, with an

average fruit production per ha of 25-30 tonnes (t). Production is concentrated in Reggio

Calabria Province and in 2008/9 in the northern part of the Province, which accounts for

approximately 35% of the cultivated area, there was a reduction in availability of about a

third. In southern Reggio Calabria Province, which accounts for the remaining 65% of

production, the crop is predicted to increase by about 30% compared with the previous one.

Bergamot producers are not entitled to an EU citrus subsidy.

The average quantity of bergamot oil produced per ha is 125-150 kg/ha. with a crop average

of 120 t per year. In 2007/8 and 2008/9 production was 55 t and 70 t respectively. During the

2008/9 crop, the price of the fresh bergamot fruit in the field was !0.36-0.38/kg;

transportation from the field to the facility cost !0.02/kg, while processing costs were

!0.04/kg. The juice and the process peels are not sold but are collected free of charge, with

the latter being used in pet foods.

Lemon

There are an estimated 5,000 – 5,400 hectares of lemon under cultivation, with an average

fruit production per ha of 30-35 tonnes. Until the current crop, lemon producers received an

EU subsidy !0.10 per kg of fruit produced, but this has now been replaced by a subsidy of

!1,200 per hectare of cultivated citrus fruit.

The average quantity of lemon oil produced per ha is 125-140 kg/ha. with a crop average of

700 t per year. In 2007/8 and 2008/9 production was 450 t and 600 t respectively. During the

2008/9 crop, the price of the fresh lemon fruit in the field was !0.22-0.23/kg; transportation

from the field to the facility cost !0.02/kg, while processing costs were !0.04/kg. The price

received for the fresh lemon juice was !0.22-0.25/kg while the processed peels were given

away free of charge.

Mandarin

There are an estimated 700 – 800 hectares of mandarin under cultivation for processing, with

an average fruit production of 30 t/ha. The average quantity of green-yellow mandarin oil

produced per ha is 180-200 kg/ha. The average quantity of red mandarin oil produced per ha

is 75-80 kg/ha. The crop average is 80-100 t per year. In 2007/8 and 2008/9 production was

35 t and 55 t respectively. During the 2008/9 crop, the price of the fresh mandarin fruit in the

field for the green/yellow mandarin crop was !0.35/kg and the price offered for red mandarin

was !0.15/kg, which the farmers were very reluctant to accept. The transportation from the

field to the facility cost !0.02/kg, while processing costs were !0.04/kg. The price received

for the fresh mandarin juice was !0.05/kg while the processed peels were given away free of

charge.

EU Citrus Subsidies

A recent change to the EU subsidy regime has led to greater liberalisation of the citrus market

in Italy. This, combined with the recent heavy rains experienced in southern Europe and the

growing market for fresh fruit within the EU, has created uncertainties over citrus supplies for

essential oils processing.

The EU introduced a new Common Market Organisation for fruit and vegetables on 1 January

2008, implemented by Regulation 1182/2007. The aim of this reform was to improve the

competitiveness and market orientation of the EU fruit and vegetable sector, reduce income

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fluctuations, promote consumption and enhance environmental safeguards. While subsidies

for citrus fruits (excluding bergamot, which is not an edible fruit) used to be paid on each kg

produced, the subsidies have now been “decoupled” from production, and producers receive a

payment per hectare. Producers will receive !1,200 per hectare of cultivated citrus instead of

!0.10 per kg of fruit. In this way, subsidies will be brought under the EU Single Payment

Scheme that is already in place for many other farm products. The new regulation also lays

down the framework for the operation of Producer Organisations that play an important part

in the marketing of fruit within the EU, and a vital role in the supply of citrus to Italy’s

essential oil producers.

Participants on the Study Tour welcomed the opportunity to discuss the regulatory changes

with producers and processors in one of the EU’s most important citrus producing area.

Most of the essential oil processing companies purchase their raw materials from local co-

operatives in accordance with various specifications to ensure that the fruit received for

processing is of the required quality. Often framework contracts are agreed with growers

associations at the beginning of each season for delivery throughout the processing period

according to carefully calculated schedules. However, the changes in EU support to the citrus

industry is having an impact on both the prices and purchasing arrangements, which are

currently in a state of flux.

Essential Oils Production

Most organisations visited were family-owned with many decades of expertise in producing

and processing citrus oils for a variety of applications. Visits to the essential oil producing

companies usually followed a similar format; an introduction to the company’s operations, a

guided tour of the production plant and laboratories, where participants were able to quiz the

staff. Following the unloading and washing of the fruit, we then saw various types of

extraction equipment including the "rasping" technique used to obtain the oil from the peel

called pelatrice, and then the process of removing the oil after the juice is expressed, known

as sfumatrice. The diagram below illustrates the citrus essential oil production flow chart in

operation at Citrus Vita s.p.a. – one of the companies visited during the Tour.

We were able to compare and discuss the main organoleptic and chemical characteristics of a

wide range of citrus oils obtained by the different processes, including lemon, blood and

blond sweet orange oils, mandarin oils (red, green and yellow) and bergamot oils that the

companies produce. In addition, each company provided a selection of delicious Italian

snacks and in several cases superb lunches and dinners, as well as information packages and

gifts for each of the participants.

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Citrus Essential Oil Production Flow Chart

Source: Citrus Vita SRL

Unloading Selection and Washing

Oil extraction

Pelatrice extractor In-line extractor

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Oil centrifuges

Quality Control

It was apparent during the visits that quality control issues have increased in importance in

recent years, and that this involves all sectors of the operation from fruit growing, transport

and arrival at the factory, the processing technology, production control, sophisticated

laboratory testing, traceability systems, data collection, research and development and the

employment of skilled technical and managerial staff. Most companies meet various

international standard guidelines, such as ISO 9001, HACCP, “Good Manufacturing

Practice” which ensures that various national and international food directives and rules are

met. Several companies are also certified to sell organic, kosher and halal products.

Organic oils

In response to the increasing interest in a healthier way of life and greater consumer

awareness about organic growing methods, a number of companies visited have undertaken

various processing changes to enable them to produce a growing number of organic essential

oil and other products to meet the new market needs. Several of the companies are now

certified for organic production using internationally recognised bodies, such as Ecocert.

Monday 23 February

Corleone Agrumaria

Following the Welcome Reception and meal on Sunday evening, the Group set off early on

Monday morning to visit the operations of Agrumaria Corleone in Palermo, which has over

100 years of experience in processing and manufacturing citrus oils for a variety of

applications including food and beverages, perfumery, cosmetics, pharmaceutical and

detergent use. The company is a joint stock company, whose shares belong entirely to the

Corleone family and four generations have been involved in the company’s operations. Over

the years the company has grown steadily through the adoption of a range of technological

innovations. The factory covers an area of 25,000 square metres, within which are 25,000

cubic metres of cold rooms, laboratories and offices. The plants are managed under the

HACCP system using the most modern production

methods. The plant has three different lines for the

processing of lemons, oranges and mandarins.

Corleone’s lemon processing capacity is 43,000

tonnes, with lemon oil production of 172 tonnes.

Equivalent figures for orange (blond and blood) are

30,000 tonnes capacity, and orange oil production of

45 tonnes. Equivalent figures for mandarin are 6,000

tonnes and 12 tonnes of mandarin oil.

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Following a presentation the Group spent two hours

touring the processing plant, where lemon and blood

oranges (with its bright red fruit and juice) were

being processed. The company also processes bitter

orange, blond orange, mandarin and bergamot. The

company has three independent production lines for

processing lemons, oranges, mandarins, as well as

grapes. Juices and essential oils are extracted by two

methods, namely in-line extractors and pelatrice and

policitrus plants. The juice is then pasteurised, de-

pulped and concentrated under vacuum in order to obtain products with the most desirable

levels of cloud and stability. The essential oils are extracted cold and separated by special

high-speed centrifuges to obtain the highest possible yield.

We then visited the company’s laboratories, where

we compared the aromas of many of these

products, including the green, yellow and red

mandarin. The company sells its products all over

the world, with more than 70% of production

exported. Major markets include the EU (55%),

USA (5%) and Asia (10%).

Nisida BesT s.r.l.

In the afternoon, following an excellent lunch hosted by

BesT, at the beautiful Hotel Baglio Conca D’Oro Alla

Carteria Grande on the outskirts of Palermo, the Group

then headed to BesT’s Factory Nisida to view the lemon

processing operations. BesT s.r.l. was established in late

1993, as a limited private company focussing on the

production and trade of Italian citrus derivatives including

blond and blood oranges, lemon and mandarin. Most of

BesT’s range of citrus fruit derivatives is produced in its “state of the art” plant in Linera

(Catania), located close to Mount Etna, in an area very important for lemon and Sicilian blood

orange cultivation.

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In the evening the Group headed

off to Mondello, Palermo famous

beach area, where there was

another excellent dinner hosted by

Agrumaria Corleone, On arriving

back at the Hotel, those Group

members still awake after an

exhausting day watched a

traditional puppet show in Sicilian

dialect that had been put on at the

hotel for our benefit. The show

consisted of a series of medieval

chivalric episodes dealing with

issues topical today, namely the

clash between Christianity and

Islam – the puppetry was

impressive, especially since each

puppet weighed some 20kgs or more.

Tuesday 24th February

Lemon Fields

On Tuesday 24th February we checked out of the hotel

and headed for the lemon fields of Bagheria, where a

cooperative member explained in detail the operations of

the citrus plantations.

Candifrucht s.p.a. and Capua s.r.l.

Then we headed eastwards along the coast road to the

Candifrucht Factory at Barcellona. Candifrucht is an

associated partner to Capua, and another family-owned

company, led by Nunzio Calabrò. The Group, guided by

Gianfranco Capua and Lawrence Bert, toured the newly

installed Brown extraction equipment, involving a fully

integrated production chain from juice, oil and candied

fruits productions.

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The company extracts lemon, blood orange, mandarin and

cedrat oils. Candifrucht and Capua then hosted an

excellent lunch at Trattoria la Taverna in Barcellona.

Citrus Vita s.p.a.

After lunch, the Group headed to the modern Citrus Vita’s

factory and offices, located in the Pace del Mela industrial

area, Messina district, about half way from the main

Sicilian and Calabrian citrus fruits production centres.

Citrus Vita s.p.a. is owned by Caratozzolo family, who

were involved in the fresh fruit business prior to

establishing the processing operations in 1996, since when

production has steadily grown. The operation covers some

20,000 sq. metre, of which 6,000 are covered, and the

company produces single strength juices, concentrated

juices, and essential oils through direct extraction of citrus

fruits. These products are used in the beverage and food

sectors as well as in the cosmetic, pharmaceutical and

detergent sectors.

The company manufactures cold pressed oils, hot

recovered oils, terpenes, concentrated oils, deterpenated

oils and aromas from

lemons, mandarins

and oranges. Average yearly processing figures are:

30,000 tonnes of lemons, 20,000 tonnes of oranges (blood

and blond), and 2,000 tonnes of mandarins. Because of

the equipment used (including 21 FMC extractors), the

company is in a position to obtain 1.3-1.6 tonnes of cp

oil/day during the peak of the season. The flow chart of

the company’s processing operations are illustrated in the

above diagram, and during the visit the participants saw:

• 3 separate lines for fruit’s receiving

• 16 silos dedicated to the fruit’s receiving with a total capacity of 192 tonnes

• 21 FMC extractors able to process 45.000 kg of fruit/hour

• 3 centrifuges able to separate 30,000 litres of emulsion (water + oil) per hour;

• 180 kg - 225 kg of cold pressed oil/hour

• Chilled storage for essential oils: up to 700 drums x 180 kg + 17 tins of 4 and 8 tons

capacity total volume: 328 tonnes; winterization: 2 tins of 7 tonnes at -15°c + 2 tins

of 40 tonnes at -22°C.

• Deterpenation/concentration operations; using a small hot deterpenator the production

capacity of concentrated oils (folded from 2 to 5 as standard with the possibility of

increasing) goes from 180kg to 72kg in 8 hours. The production capacity of

deterpenated oil (folded 20 times for instance) is 20 kg in about 8 hours.

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Following the factory tour, Simona Caratozzolo, the Sales Director, discussed the main

organoleptic and chemical characteristics of the lemon oils, blood and blond sweet orange oils

and the mandarin oils that the company produces. The company also produces organic,

kosher and halal products both for the export and domestic markets.

Wednesday 25th February

Misitano e Stracuzzi s.p.a.

Following an overnight stay in the centre of Messina

some 2 miles from the Mainland, Wednesday saw the

Group heading down the eastern coast of Sicily for a visit

to the Misitano e Stracuzzi factory at Furci Siculo, a

small seaside town. The factory is situated close to the

beach and despite the difficulty of access and the location

in the centre of town the

Group were very impressed

at the new processing

equipment and sound-proofing installed on the restricted site.

The company produces and markets a wide range of citrus

essential oils and juices.

As separate companies, Misitano and Stracuzzi have been

producing essential oils and citrus juices since the early years of

the 20th century. In 1974 the two firms decided to combine to

create Misitano & Stracuzzi s.p.a., and today the company is

managed by members of the fourth generation of two families,

several of whom were met during the visit.

O. P. Red Co.P, (Consorzio Produttori – Soc Consortile a.r.l)

In the afternoon, we travelled further down the coast

alongside Mount Etna to visit citrus fields and the

grading and packing plant of Red Co.P, (Consorzio

Produttori – Soc Consortile a.r.l) a cooperative group

of 242 partners of citrus fruit and vegetable growers

based in Palagonia. Its ultimate objective is to produce

and market high quality citrus fruits and vegetables,

cultivated according to the regulations governing

organic and integrated production. The group

cultivates some 1,600 hectares of mainly blood orange

but also mandarin, clementine and lemon, of which

630 hectares are organic.

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Following the visit to the orchards the group then visited the fruit packing operations of Red

Co.P.

We arrived at our new hotel in the beautiful medieval town of Taormina at around 19.00

having to switch to small buses to transport us up the Monte Tauro and through the narrow

streets. In the morning we had wonderful views towards Mt. Etna and the coast.

Thursday 26th February

University of Messina – Analytical Food Chemistry Group

On Thursday 26th February we drove back into Messina

to visit the new EU-funded analytical laboratories at the

University of Messina, where detailed presentations were

made about the innovations underway in analysing

essential oil constituents, which could have important

implications for detecting adulteration and pesticide

content. Three excellent presentations were made:

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1. Rosaria Costa, Maria Rosa De Fina, Maria Rita

Valentino, Paola Dugo, Luigi Mondello, Giovanni Dugo

GC and GC-MS of Citrus Oils

2. Paola Dugo, Luigi Mondello, Giovanni Dugo

HPLC and HPLC-MS of Oxygen Heterocyclic

Components Of Citrus Oils

3. Luigi Mondello, Peter Quinto Tranchida, Danilo

Sciarrone, Paola Dugo, Giovanni Dugo

Innovative Analytical Approaches Applied to Essential Oils

Copies of the presentations were circulated to Tour participants

Capua 1880 s.r.l.

Following a short ferry ride to the mainland we visited the

operations of Capua 1880 s.r.l. in Reggio Calabria. The

company is today managed by a 4th

generation family member,

Gianfranco Capua, son of Mimo Capua, who lately passed

away, and who for many years was a member of IFEAT’s

Executive Committee. Mimo’s wife, Pina, a regular attendee

at IFEAT Conferences was there to greet us.

During the last three years the company has undertaken a large

investment programme and alongside the new “Brown”

production lines in Sicily, the Group were also shown the two types of pelatrice in Calabria

for all Italian citrus products. During the visit we saw

bergamot pelatrice extraction and further processing

operations and the laboratories. Bergamot is not an edible

fruit and therefore (in theory) is not eligible for EU subsidies.

The oil is widely used in fragrance creation, and less

commonly used in flavour creation, with a major use in the

production of Earl Grey tea. The company supplies the

international market for bergamot and green mandarin oils

from its operations in Calabria and lemon, mandarins, cedrat

and orange oils from its Sicily operations. For each and every

citrus oil there are difficulties in summing up their existing

olfactory characteristics and Capua has developed an

Olfactory Agenda in order for customers to grasp the

differences and select citrus products according to their

needs. The new 2008 edition was distributed to all the

participants.

The Group also visited the QC department, where the

company closely monitors the

various natural products in

order to meet the increasingly

stringent EU regulations. The

range of furocoumarins and

pesticides reduced products

are the latest illustration of

this policy.

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Friday 27th February

Bergamot Fields

The last day of the field trip saw a visit to a bergamot

field at Pellaro outside Reggio, where the last few fruits

were being harvested at the end of the season. Bergamot

yields are affected by climatic factors, but on average a

20-year old tree would yield between 100 to 120 kg of oil,

with 1 kg of oils being obtained from 200 kg of fruit. The

best crop provides a yield of 0.07 (i.e. 7 kg of oil per

tonne) with big fruit yielding 0.03 to 0.035. The bergamot

harvest starts in mid-late November, with the earlier crop

being greener and smaller. We were

just in time to see the last few fruits of

the season.

On the bergamot field trip we were accompanied by

members of Cilione s.r.l., including Enzo Cilione,

Alberto Arrigo, Remy Bontoux, Nicholas Herve and

Hans Pfeiffer. During the season Cilione processes

bergamot from around 260 hectares, approximately a

quarter of Italy’s bergamot production area.

Cilione s.r.l.

Five generations of the Cilione family have been involved

in the production of citrus oils beginning at the end of the

19th

century. Initially the family began working with bitter

orange oil, which was used for industrial purposes. Then

bergamot oil was introduced followed by other southern

Italian citrus fruits. In 2001 the Cilione family merged

with the Bontoux family to create the joint venture

Cilione s.r.l. The Group visited the old bergamot factory

of Cilione at Reggio where we saw the extraction process.

The facility covers some 700 square metres. On arrival

the bergamot fruit are sorted then washed. A conveyor

belt then takes them to the pelatrice equipment where the

fruit surfaces are scrapped by plates covered in needles.

The fruit are constantly sprayed with water which creates

an emulsion of essential oil and water. This emulsion is

then put in a centrifuge which separates out the essential

oil. The equipment can process between 16 and 20 tonnes

of fruit per hour, equivalent to some 15.00/17.50 kg per

hour of bergamot oil (i.e. approximately 1 drum per day).

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The company produces a range of products. These include the production of oils of bergamot,

mandarin, lemon, orange, clementine and petitgrains as well as allied products and their

derivatives. In addition, the company uses it processing

knowledge to make other citrus oils, such as tangerine,

grapefruit and lime. All Cilione products are kosher

certified and in-house the company produces organic-

certified bergamot oil.

The Group then visited the new Cilione facility which is

being established a short distance away from the existing

factory. The new facility will have a productive area of

around 1,000 square metres and should be opened by the

Summer in time for the new harvest. The facility will

have new processing equipment including one line

dedicated to organic oil production as well as a molecular

distiller. The new facility will have ISO and NOP

certification to add to the HACCP, kosher and EU organic

certification of the existing plant. Also the new facility

will have new office space of around 200 square metres

which will include QC equipment that includes analysis of

pesticides and furocumarins content.

Following an excellent lunch hosted by Cilione, Tour

participants visit the Bar "Il Bergamotto" where we saw

old processing equipment and tasted different types of

Bergamot-flavoured desserts.

In the evening the Group had a farewell dinner, where the hotel provided an IFEAT cake to

celebrate the occasion.