Palancares Alimentación, the Grupo Fuertes company dedicated to the elaboration of processed cheese and dairy products, finished last year with an increase in turnover of 7.1 per cent, which meant sales of 13.4 million euros.

The company sold 4,400 tonnes of products, from all the varieties of cheese which it produces, fresh and hard-pressed cow, sheep and goats cheese.

During this year, the company plans to invest 300,000 euros to widen its line of processed cheeses, which will allow it to significantly increase its production capacity. This quantity is added to the 1.2 million invested in the previous year for the start-up of a new line of ultrafiltered products.

Internationally speaking, Palancares Alimentación has created a gap in new markets like Canada and Australia and has reached a point where 10 per cent of all its sales come from export to countries such as Germany, England, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic or Japan.

Palancares Alimentación was a pioneer in creating a range of lactose-free cheeses, under the name of Sannum. This is a line of healthy products to which numerous products have been incorporated, the most notable including the first cheese with phitosterols, which help reduce cholesterol, the Sannum Soja, made with vegetable protein, or Sannum Fibra, which stimulates the digestive system.

New launches

This year the company has launched an Iberian Cheese on the market, baptised with the name of ‘Legado’. It is a mild straight forward cheese, in which you can appreciate the characteristics of three different types of milk; the acidity of cow’s milk, the aroma, spicy notes and white colouring of goats milk and lastly, the creaminess and depth of flavour of Sheep’s milk.

Another of the new products which the company will sell this year is the hard-pressed Queso Ahumado. It is a mixed cow, goat and sheep’s cheese, hard, but creamy and mild, with toasted smells and aromas and sweet and nutty notes.