The new trends in food consumption motivated the birth of Paturpat in 2016, which was created to offer easy-to-prepare, nutritious and healthy products with potatoes as a base. This 2024 she was distinguished in the Market Innovation category in the Euskadi Food Innovation Awards. For Koldo López de Robles, manager, “innovation, continuous improvement and the development of new products is an intrinsic part” of the nature of this spin-off, which was born from an R&D&i project of the cooperative. Udapa.
How was Paturpat born?
After intense research work with its own personnel and the support of reference technology centers in the agri-food sector. Paturpat now develops potato-based products that are ready for consumption within the so-called fifth range. Thus, the Udapa subsidiary produces a natural product, which does not contain preservatives or colorants, and thanks to its high added value allows you to reduce the time and costs of preparing any recipe that contains potatoes.
In these years, how has Paturpat’s activity evolved?
One of the main peculiarities that has marked the evolution of the cooperative since the beginning is its rapid evolution. A year after being established, in 2017, Paturpat burst into the country’s supermarkets with its new range of products created from different cuts of vacuum-packed and steam-cooked potatoes.
At the same time, it also began to carve out a niche for itself in the industry and in the Horeca channel with larger formats and a wider variety of references. His products were quickly accepted in these sectors due to their high added value, while their high sensory and nutritional quality allowed for a homemade and natural result. Therefore, at the end of that same year, The cooperative was awarded the Lanzadera Prize at Fruit Attractionthe most prestigious fruit and vegetable fair in the State, for being considered the best innovation and entrepreneurship project in the fruit and vegetable sector.
Seeing the success that the product was achieving in the market little by little, Paturpat began to expand its product catalog by including more elaborate references that, in addition to potatoes, contained other ingredients and dressings. The pandemic and the closure of the inn slowed down growth plans, but the company managed to emerge stronger from everything learned during this crisis and, Through an investment of more than 3 million euros, it installed its second production line.
What makes Paturpat stand out in its sector?
I would say that, on the one hand, Paturpat stands out both for the production process it has developed and for the final product it has achieved. Steam cooking in vacuum conditions at low temperatures ensures that the products maintain their texture, flavor and smell of a homemade and natural preparation. Besides, They reach a shelf life of 60 days in refrigeration without detriment to their quality, and once opened they last up to 48 hours. Another of its main singularities is its cooperative values, which underline the importance of the human factor in daily life, the transcendence of the principles of sustainability and the circular economy, as well as the incessant commitment to innovation.
Recently, Paturpat has been awarded at the Euskadi Food Innovation Awards. What motivated the jury’s ruling?
According to the members of the jury for this award, the creation of Paturpat has generated a significant economic impact evidenced by the increased job creation and business growth achieved in a very short period of time. The Udapa subsidiary has demonstrated its ability to identify new market opportunities, expanding its presence both in the food industry sector and the Horeca channel as well as in retail. Furthermore, food waste is avoided in the production process, thus revaluing the tubers that, despite being nutritious, are not selected to be sold in supermarkets because they do not meet the aesthetic standards demanded by consumers.
What is the innovation work carried out by both Udapa and Paturpat?
Technology and innovation have always been two fundamental tools that the Paturpat matrix has relied on to maximize its efficiency and prosperity, and that is why the Alava cooperative works actively in the development of different R&D projects that help promote and improve the production, conservation and consumption of potatoes.
Since 2018, for example, Udapa has collaborated with the Neiker Technology Center creating new potato varieties that better adapt to crop fields, meteorological changes and market demands. At the same time, he also carries out several precision agriculture projects in which, among other things, he seeks predict potato production on different farms, digitalize fertilization and improve irrigation water management.
We cannot forget that Paturpat is a spin-off that was born from a Udapa R&D&i project, so innovation, continuous improvement and the development of new products is an intrinsic part of its own nature. For this reason, the cooperative continually develops new solutions and dishes, always potato-based, both on its own initiative and at the request of customers. Thus, currently the cooperative has 35 different references in its catalogue. But the cooperative not only innovates in the production phase of the new references, but also throughout its entire production process, incorporatingcutting-edge technology and installing processes that allow it to continue delving into the circular economy.
Any projects on the horizon?
At this moment Paturpat has just invest more than 10 million euros to condition its facilities in the Jundiz industrial estate and implement its third production linewhich will allow it to expand its manufacturing capacity and produce new references that contain more ingredients and seasonings.
At the same time, the cooperative is participating in aEuropean circular economy project called Brilian, through which a system has recently been set up to recover starch from the water used during the potato transformation process, as well as from the tuber pieces rejected due to lack of quality. Once the starch has been recovered, the possibility of revaluing it for use as a raw material in other industries, such as cosmetics or plastic manufacturing, is being studied.
What future plans does the company have?
Looking to the future, Paturpat intends continue consolidating in the market, preparing to be competitive in the production of fifth-range potato-based products, and will continue to be very attentive to market trends in order to continue satisfying the needs and demands of consumers.
The SPRI Group promotes R&D in Basque companies with tools, assets, aid, work groups and alliances in order to promote research and generate new technologies. Consult the R&D aid programs such as Elkartek, Emaitek or Hazitek.
