Ginseng is a popular ingredient of fashionable health products. Euro Ginseng  is the only company that cultivates, processes and sells ginseng in the Netherlands. This specialist company grew from modest beginnings, in the shape of a project that was launched ten years ago.

Ben Schepens is Commercial Director of Euro Ginseng: “A cooperative such as CSV is continuously on the lookout for ways of maintaining a healthy agricultural sector, both for its members and for the common good. CSV members cultivate sugar beet for Cosun and obtain a good price for it, compared with other crops such as grain or potatoes.”

Alternative
Ten years ago, CSV subsidiary NPH BV decided to investigate whether ginseng could be an interesting alternative crop for growers. This was the seed from which Euro Ginseng grew to become an established company, supplying a wide range of ginseng ingredients, intermediates and consumer products.

After years of investment, the company expects to show a profit in the current financial year. This diversification should generate a positive financial contribution for CSV members.

Cooperation
“We produce and market ginseng products from our own cultivation under the brand name Euro Ginseng”, explains Schepens. “Ginseng’s healing effects range from relieving stress to providing extra energy to the whole body. Since ginseng has no harmful side effects, it can be widely used as a functional ingredient in food products.”

Growing, producing and marketing are totally different disciplines. Euro Ginseng therefore aims to cooperate where it can. With Cosun, for example. Schepens: “We know Cosun from our relationship with the cooperative. ‘Royal Cosun driven by cooperation’ was already a familiar slogan. We want to cooperate in other areas, too.”

“Cosun has its own R&D centre, the Cosun Food Technology Centre (CFTC). Process technologists from this centre have helped us to set up and implement top-quality processes for making highly concentrated and water-soluble Euro Ginseng extracts.”

“We are also in contact with various Cosun companies about opportunities for marketing ginseng. They are familiar with the food industry, market trends and the development of new product concepts. Alongside the fact that ginseng can be of interest in this context as a high quality ingredient, their experience and contacts can open up new opportunities.”

Safety
Schepens: “We are the only ginseng supplier in the world to be certified to ISO 9001 and HACCP. We can therefore guarantee the quality and food safety of ginseng.”

This is a major advantage, as ‘tracking and tracing’ are key topics in the food industry. HACCP certification, in particular, puts us in a position to export to the USA, although we are only a relatively small producer and ginseng is subject to very strict import regulations.

On the world market, Asian buyers judge ginseng roots on factors such as size, shape, colour and taste. The western quality is in its analysable content of active ingredients (ginsenosides).

Want to know more? www.euroginseng.co.uk