Field to table
How our passion turns into quality products
Preserving the taste of tomatoes from the field to the table has been our passion and vocation for 120 years. Our company is in the heart of the Food Valley region of Parma, and we see ourselves as an intrinsic part of this region: its landscape, soil, waterways, people, traditions, and memories.
Field to table
The people behind the tomatoes
Even though we work with over 400 farmers, we know each of them by name – as they are part of our family. Our relationship with our suppliers is open and honest, and they each share our passion and dedication to excellence. As a result of this, we can pay them more for their products, which helps them develop their farms further and try new, innovative ways to improve their results and protect the environment.
The production stages
From field to the factory
Growing tomatoes is a tough business. Each year the weather conditions change and affect the harvest in ways that cannot be foreseen. Most of our farmers have dedicated their lives to understanding and mastering the entirety or the growing cycle to ensure the best tomatoes possible. It cannot be emphasized enough that in our business quality is the result of the entire production chain – everything that happens from field to table.
GETTING SUSTAINABLE WITH WWF
We cooperate with the WWF to make our entire growth and production cycle as sustainable as possible. So far, we have managed to cut down our emissions and water use drastically, and the work is only starting.
Planting
Each soil has its own characteristics: some have more minerals in them, some hold more rainfall. Some tomatoes, like the San Marzano, can only be grown in certain areas. Everything affects how a tomato tastes and finding the right place to grow a specific variety is a vital step in creating the best possible tomatoes for our products.
Farming
Our goal is to know everything there is to know about tomatoes. We share our knowledge with our farmers and guide them throughout the development of the crop in their fields. Likewise, we constantly work to improve our irrigation techniques to save both water and energy. Sun and rain are our most important allies in bringing tomatoes to maturity; hot summers produce tomatoes full of flavor.
Harvest
The tomato is an impatient fruit. Knowing exactly when to harvest is the key to achieving the best flavors possible. We rely on our farmers to alert us when the time for harvest has come. We are also currently testing new technologies like drones to precisely know when the tomatoes have gotten enough sun and are ready to be picked. All of our harvesting is done mechanically, and during the harvest season our factories operate around the clock. A ripe tomato simply can’t wait.
Production
After the tomatoes are picked and arrive at one of our factories, machines are used to sort them out with the highest care. Only the best tomatoes will do for Mutti products. To ensure quality, our production time is cut to a minimum, and our tomatoes are always processed with gentle and even heat to preserve their nutrients and natural goodness.
A tour of our factory
How we make our products
For us, nothing is more rewarding than receiving a load of ripe, high-quality tomatoes at a Mutti factory. The tomatoes have now reached full maturity under strictly controlled conditions, and in only a few hours will be transformed into the products used daily in kitchens around the world.
Tomato award season
A quest for excellence
After the harvest, the producers in Northern Italy with the highest quality tomatoes and the best farmers in Southern Italy get awarded the Pomodorino d´Oro (Golden Tomato).