THE CANNED FOOD INDUSTRY IN

TUNISIA

By:

January 2011

1
 PLAN

INTRODUCTION
I - Presentation of GICA
1- What is GICA ?
2- Missions
3- Means and Main Technical Activities

II – The Canned Food industry in Tunisia

1- The Canned Fruits and Vegetables
2- The Pickled Products
3- The Canned Blue Fish
4- The Sun-Dried Tomatoes

CONCLUSION

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 INTRODUCTION

All Tunisians consume canned food. But,

Do you know Who is responsible for the organization and the

control of this sector?

How big the sector of canned food is ?

How these products are manufactured ?

Do our products fit official standards?

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 I - PRESENTATION OF GICA :
1- WHAT IS GICA ?

The Tunisian Canned Food Industries Group is a public institution

established in 1965 and supervised by the Ministry of Industry and
Technology.
It gathers all Tunisian manufacturers of Canned Food.
GICA is ruled by an administration council composed of representatives of
 Processors,
 Farmers
 The administration.
GICA is managed by a Chief Executive Officer named by the Supervisory
Ministry.

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 I - PRESENTATION OF GICA :
1- WHAT IS GICA ?

Approximately 100 factories of canned food dealing with processed fruits,

vegetables, fishes and pickled products profit of GICA services.

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 I - PRESENTATION OF GICA :
1- WHAT IS GICA ?

GICA is member of :
 The Mediterranean International Association of the Processing Tomato

Site web : http://www.amitom.com/

 The World Processing Tomato Council

Site web : http://www.wptc.to/

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 I - PRESENTATION OF GICA :
1- WHAT IS GICA ?
Institutions programs :

Institutions
• Tunisian National Accreditation Council (TUNAC)
• National Institute of Normalization and Industrial Property (INNORPI);
• Ministry of Agriculture, Hydraulic Resources and Fisheries;
• Ministry of Trade and Handicrafts;
•Tunisian Union of Industry, Trade and Handicrafts (UTICA);
•Tunisian Union of Agriculture and Fisheries (UTAP);
•etc…
Programs
 National Program of the Quality Promotion
 Program of the Industry Modernization
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 I - PRESENTATION OF GICA :
2 – MAIN MISSIONS

1. To tie up various phases of transit of products from field to sale shelves;

2. To assist the professionals integrate the technological and scientific

innovations in their companies ;
3. To contribute, with the concerned organisms, to the implementation of the
management systems of quality in companies and to the improvement of
the product-quality;
4. To contribute to the balance of the canned food market;
5. To insure an interface of dialogue between the administration and the
professionals ;

6. To insure a scientific & technical collaboration and to exercise an activity

research / development for the promotion of the canned food sector.

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 I - PRESENTATION OF GICA :
3 – MEANS AND MAIN TECHNICAL ACTIVITIES
 A trial and analysis laboratory, accredited since 1999 by the COFRAC and since
2001 by the TUNAC, equipped for the realization of the physico-chemical and
microbiological analysis;
 A technical team of 8 engineers and 7 technicians experimented and well
trained in the field of quality;
 A continuous activity of strategic and sector-based studies;
 A research/development activity in association with the institutions of higher
education in particular: INAT, ESIAT, ISET, Faculty of sciences etc. …;
 A normative attentiveness and a continuous quality control of the canned
food companies;

 Management of the first project of label quality in the food-processing

industry (label quality Harissa, and label quality Sardines).

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 II – The Canned Food Industry in Tunisia

The food processing sector is considered as one of the oldest food

industry sector in Tunisia.
It holds a prominent place in the Tunisian agribusiness industry.
It helps to enrich a variety of agricultural products
It helps to ensure country’s food security.

It regroups 4 branches :

1. the canned fruits and vegetables

2. the pickled products
3. the canned blue fish
4. the sun-dried tomatoes

The Tunisian canned food are without additives, without chemical products

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 II – The Canned Food Industry in Tunisia

Diagram of Tomato process

Tomato discharge Washing Sorting Crushing

Extraction of Juice

Canning Pasteurization Juice Concentration

(by evaporation)

Sterilization

Cooling

Storage

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 II – The Canned Food Industry in Tunisia :
1- The Canned Fruits and Vegetables

The branch of the canned fruits and vegetables represents

30 factories which produce :

A. Processed tomato: Tomato Paste

B. Processed pepper : Harissa
C. Processed fruits : Jams

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II – The Canned Food Industry in Tunisia :
1- The Canned Fruits and Vegetables

A- Tomato processing activity

Processing tomato production is mainly

based in 5 major regions :

Cap-Bon area, which presents 60% of

total production;
Sidi-Bouzid, the Second largest region
with 10% of the production;
Beja;
Manouba;
Siliana region, which is characterised by
its late harvest.

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 II – The Canned Food Industry in Tunisia :
1- The Canned Fruits and Vegetables
A- Tomato processing activity
In 2010, there are 30 factories with a total daily processing capacity of
35000Tons of fresh tomatoes.

2010 was a record year of processing tomatoes :

2009 2010
fresh tomato 700.000 Tons 840.000 Tons
Tomato paste 120.000 Tons 140.000 Tons

 * The local consumption : 80-85.000 T

o * Export : 20-25.000 T to 20 destinations (European Union,
o Maghreb and African countries).

Generally, the Processing starts around mid-June and ends in

September.

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 II – The Canned Food Industry in Tunisia :
1- The Canned Fruits and Vegetables

A- Tomato processing activity

Now some factories produce new products like :

Tomatoes peeled
Peeled tomatoes Tomatoes peeled cubed
crushed garlic

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 II – The Canned Food Industry in Tunisia :
1- The Canned Fruits and Vegetables

A- Tomato processing activity

5.8 kg of fresh tomatoes produce 1 kg of Tomato paste.

Tunisia is the Word Biggest Consumer of Tomato paste :

 Tunisia : 54 kg per person a year
 USA : 34 kg
 European Union : 23 kg.

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 II – The Canned Food Industry in Tunisia :
1- The Canned Fruits and Vegetables
B- Pepper processing activity : Harissa

The Tunisian Harissa, made up of fresh hot red pepper, spices and
garlic, is deemed as one of the most popular canned food in the
country.

Tasted and appreciated by millions of tourists, it became a distinctive

and famous product of the Tunisian gastronomy.

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 II – The Canned Food Industry in Tunisia :
1- The Canned Fruits and Vegetables

B- Pepper processing activity : Harissa

60.000 Tons of red pepper were

processed in 2010 by 24
factories to produce 30.000
Tons of Harissa.
About 12.000 Tons of Harissa
are planned to be exported
to 20 countries including
Europe, America, Canada,
Japan and Arab countries.

Generally, the Processing starts

around mid-August and ends in
November.

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 II – The Canned Food Industry in Tunisia :
1- The Canned Fruits and Vegetables

C- Processing fruits : Jams

The most processed fruits in

the canned food factories are :
quince, strawberry, apricot, fig,
etc…
This products are processed
directly fresh once harvested.

The Periods of Processing are:

Quince from October to December,
Strawberry from May to June,
Apricot in June,
Fig in August.

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 II – The Canned Food Industry in Tunisia :
1- The Canned Fruits and Vegetables

C-Processing fruits : Jams

In 2010, 15 factories produced :

3000 Tons of Quince Jam

1300 Tons of Apricot Jam

1200 Tons of Fig Jam

320 Tons of Strawberry Jam

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 II – The Canned Food Industry in Tunisia :
2- The Pickled Products

The Tunisian pickled products are:

Table Olives, Artichokes, cappers,
vegetables “variants”, cayenne
pepper, green pepper, lemon
(Limoun), garlic, garlic paste,
Traditional Harissa, Slata mechouia
(Grilled Salad), Chakchouka (mixed
& cooked vegetables in sauce)…
etc.

The most important products are :

A. Table Olives
B. Artichokes.

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 II – The Canned Food Industry in Tunisia :
2- The Pickled Products

List of factories according to their location:

Tunis : C.C.O, STCAT, STCA, STE EL HAMROUNI, STE MCHABET ALI,
Ariana : SCAT
Manouba : OLICAP2000,TOTOLIVE, OLIVAR, SONOCO, SOTIA, VERGERS
BORJ TOUMI, SOPROLIVE.
Ben Arous : COPRAA, REFLETS DE TUNISIE, SOTRAPA, STE ARFAOUI &
FRERES.
Beja : BIO MAMMA, OLIVE DE BEJA, OLIVE DU NORD, SICAM
Zaghouan : SOCOTAB, TANIT OIL
Nabeul : SCAP/CB, STE MESSADI RIDHA
Sousse : GREEN LAND
Jerba : STE HMIDA HERBERG & Co.
Jendouba : ETS KHEMIR JELEL
Kef : ABIDA
Siliana : OLIVA

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 II – The Canned Food Industry in Tunisia :
2- The Pickled Products

A- The Table Olives processing activity

The table olives are the main products of the
pickling activity.
There is a wide range of table olives:

* Natural olives in brine

* Broken green olives in brine.
* Green olives, candied
* Pitted olives
* Sliced olives
* Olive paste

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 II – The Canned Food Industry in Tunisia :
2- The Pickled Products

A- The Table Olives processing activity

In 2009, 5.500 Tons of Table Olives were processed by 30 factories,
About 850 Tons were exported mainly to Italy.
The Processing starts in October and ends in January.

Table Olives processing by variety

Picholine Beldi 11% Sahli 7%

14% Marsaline 4%

Besbessi 3%

Mbalta 2%

Jarboui 2%

Meski 56%
Others 1%

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 II – The Canned Food industry in Tunisia :
2- The Pickled Products

B- The Artichoke processing activity

In 2010, 5 factories produced 300 Tons of processed Artichoke.

All the quantity is mainly for export.
The Processing starts around Mid-February and ends in May.
There are 2 types of processed artichoke :

Artichoke Hearts
Full Artichoke 27
 II – The Canned Food Industry in Tunisia :
3- The Canned Blue Fish

The first factories of fish processing

in Tunisia are among the oldest in
the Mediterranean basin.
Some factories have emerged in the
early 19th century.

Now 16 factories, with modern

Equipment, subject to the
International Standards, are located
along the coastal areas and are
qualified to export the product to the
European market.

They process:
Sardines
Tuna

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 II – The Canned Food Industry in Tunisia :
3- The Canned Blue Fish

A- Sardines processing activity

The processing of this species has been enhanced in recent years, thanks to
the better availability of raw material.
The conquest of new markets for export by processing factories has also
contributed to increase the production level.

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 II – The Canned Food Industry in Tunisia :
3- The Canned Blue Fish

A- Sardines processing activity

Several products are offered on the market, combining

the taste of this fish, aromatic qualities of natural
plants or specific preparations. We can enjoy canned
sardines with :

Olive oil

Vegetable oil Lemon

Tomato sauce

Harissa

And the new product : Dumplings of Sardine

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 II – The Canned Food Industry in Tunisia :
3- The Canned Blue Fish

A- Sardines processing activity

In 2010, 9.000 Tons of fresh Sardines were processed by 13

factories to produce 6.600 Tons of Canned Sardines.
More than 2.000 Tons are going to be exported to Europeans
and Asians countries, including Japan, and several African
countries.
The Processing starts in May and ends in December.

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 II – The Canned Food industry in Tunisia :
3- The Canned Blue Fish

B- Tuna processing activity

the greatest amount of fresh bluefin Tunisian tuna (the red tuna) are
exported annually to the Japanese market.
To satisfy the local market, processors use the imported white tuna (called
Albacore) from The Republic of Seychelles (which is an archipelago of 115
islands in the Indian Ocean).

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 II – The Canned Food Industry in Tunisia :
3- The Canned Blue Fish

B- Tuna processing activity

Tuna is mostly processed and canned with olive oil, vegetable oil, and
natural.
In 2010, 17.000 tons of tuna (with 350 Tons of Bluefin Tunisian Tuna),
were processed by 10 factories to produce about 7000 tons of canned
tuna.
Generally, the Processing starts in February and ends in June.

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 II – The Canned Food Industry in Tunisia :
4- The Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Sun-Dried Tomatoes is the new Branch of canned food industry in

Tunisia.
This new activity rapidly expanding, is managed totally towards the
export.

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 II – The Canned Food Industry in Tunisia :
4- The Sun-Dried Tomatoes

List of factories according to their location :

Manouba : ITALIAN FOODS, MOULIN MAHJOUB, EXTRAG, STICPA,

MEDITERRANEAN INTER-LINK, ANTICA
Beja : CFC, KOUKI’S KITCHEN, STE ZLAOUI, MEDITERRANEAN FOOD.
Nabeul : AGRI FOOD, LES SAVEURS DU SUD, PROMOLIO,
STE NACEUR CHAKER
Tunis : SOCOTRANA
Sousse : ETS KHEMAIS AYARI
Ben Arous : SALEM EXPORT
Sidi Bou Zid : AGRIT, AGRINEGOCE
Bizerte : FLOR ALIA
Monastir : AGRO FRESH
Siliana : LES HERBES DE TUNISIE

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 II – The Canned Food Industry in Tunisia :
4- The San-Dried Tomatoes

Seasoned by olive oil, garlic and

other herbs, sun-dried tomato is a
condiment that blends original all
recipes.
The packaging is done in cartons of
10 kg and glass jars of various
capacities.

In 2010, about 3.300 Tons of dried tomatoes (derived from about 33

thousand tons of fresh tomatoes) were produced by 22 factories to be
exported mainly to Italy.
The Processing starts around mid-June and ends in September.

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 CONCLUSION
CHALLENGES:

Improve the rate of coaching in enterprises (still low) ;

Have more interest to the cost of quality (which is still poorly tolerated by
businesses due to strong competition on the market);
Revise certain standards to adapt them to the industrial reality (Some standards
were copied to international standards and which do not fit the reality of our
products;
Establish standards for processing and sale of typical Tunisian food
(ex. Harissa and Grilled Salad);

Have a better technological and nutritional quality of the raw material

through the improvement of the varieties.

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 THANK YOU FOR
YOUR KIND ATTENTION

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