Topoloveni plum jam maker earns 775,000 euros for product promotion in UAE, Vietnam

Sonimpex Topoloveni, the producer of Topoloveni plum magiun, an original plum jam recipe, has obtained European funds worth 775,000 euros to promote the product in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Vietnam, but it will also participate in trade fairs and exhibitions in Japan, America and Brazil, the company announced on Thursday. "In the 28th year since the establishment of Sonimpex Topoloveni, we are starting promoting the Topoloveni plum magiun in the United Arab Emirates and Vietnam on European funds worth 775,000 euros. As members of the Romconserv Trust, we will participate in trade fairs and exhibitions in Japan, America and Brazil. We are proud that at European level we have made it to the Brussels-based International Taste Institute as a 100% Romanian company, where we received 2 Michelin stars - out of 3, and to the Monde Selection, also in Brussels, where we have been awarded bronze and silver medals for our preserve without added sugar or additives, a preserve made according to an international patent. The fact that in our factory we do not use added sugar or additives in any of our products production puts us in the ranking of Romania's best production facilities in the food industry. Thus we have managed to set consumer health as our ultimate goal," says Diana Stanciulov, associate and commercial manager of Sonimpex Topoloveni. She added that because of these achievements at national and international level, the Ministry of Agriculture has registered with Romania's OSIM State Office for Inventions and Trademarks, the National Registry of protected geographical designation of origin, as a traditional product the Topoloveni plum magiun in 2009. The registration was the first step for the recognition at European Union level through the European quality system of geographical indications, as a Protected Geographical Indication on April 7, 2011. "For five years, we were the only Romanian producers in the food industry with European quality system recognition among 1,500 European producers," says Stanciulov. Because of its European recognition, the company has managed to access European funds to promote its jam in Norway, Switzerland, Russia, America, the United Arab Emirates, and now in Vietnam and again the UAE. "We were pleasantly surprised that we were protected by the European Commission's Protected Geographical Indication in Canada and Japan. The recognition of our efforts to obtain protection for both the product and the Topoloveni toponym led to the making of a 30-second video that has been viewed by 2.7 million views in the European Union. The Topoloveni plum jam was a precious gift offered by the Presidency of Romania, the Government of Romania, the Senate and Parliament. These institutions recognised it as a Romanian brand. It would have been very good had we been provided with protection at the level of the national institutions accredited in this regard," added Stanciulov. AGERPRES (RO - author: Mariana Nica, editor: Oana Tilica; EN - author: Corneliu-Aurelian Colceriu, editor: Adina Panaitescu)