How we work
From recipe development, production and packaging to delivery, at CCI all services come from a single source. This means we can guarantee continuous quality and reliability across all production processes. Trained specialist staff work on all of the processes and ensure brand appropriate product implementation. Find out how an idea is turned into a successful product!
Our dynamic and dedicated sales teams in Germany and Holland are always eager to hear your wishes and ideas. As a private brand supplier, partnering for collaboration is second nature to us. Transparency, commitment and reliability are the basis of our business relationships. We look forward to working with you in developing a successful product range. We create fitting concepts based on consumer trends, market research data and relevance for you as customer.
We plan and coordinate projects from concept, to execution, through to on time delivery, so that you get what we promised.
Innovation & Development
Knowing what consumers want
No future without development and innovation! The world of confectionery is dynamic: consumer needs are changing, the influence of NGOs is growing, product lifecycles are becoming shorter and shorter, and a true evolution in private brands is taking place. Being able to adapt to new developments quickly is essential. We monitor, test and advise. We see opportunities and solutions for developing truly innovative concepts together with our customers.
Our highly qualified experts and scientists are constantly working on new creations at our two test facilities in the Netherlands and Germany. Their know how and experience enable us to meet the short term and future needs of consumers and our customers.
Production
OUR TRUSTED PRODUCTION KNOW HOW
Not only the quality of the recipe is crucial for the production of first class sweets, so is the production process. We achieve high quality results by using state of the art technology, together with efficient production processes.
At our five production facilities, we offer both cost leadership, as well as innovation and flexibility. Our ‘recipe’ is key to our successful portfolio with best quality levels and costs.
Our factories are equipped with automated mixing, cooking and packaging equipment that meet the requirements of a wide range of product groups, packaging types and recipes. We use four different production techniques. Read more about each one of these below.
Crunchy sugar coated confectionery
Making dragees involves a coating process. The number of varieties of dragees is virtually unlimited. Our popular jelly beans, for example, are placed in copper kettles and coated with a crispy sugar coating, ensuring a crunchy bite experience. Other fruit gums are coated with sour sugar, sugar pearls or flour.
Any shape you like
Our large variety of gums and jellies shapes are created by depositing the gum or jelly mass into preformed moulds. These are made from cornstarch and are known as powder moulds. First, we develop a creative idea for a clear and attractive shape for sweet gums. Next, drawings of the gums and jellies shapes are made using a 3D programme,.
Prior to production, moulds are made with the desired shapes pressed into the powder using plaster or aluminium stamps. After heating, liquid jelly or liquorice mixture is poured into these moulds via nozzles. After a drying and maturing process, the freshly made sweets acquire their firm consistency.
Once they have hardened, the cornstarch is removed by way of sieving. The colourful confectionery is (almost) ready. For a shiny finish, the confectionery is treated with water vapour, vegetable fat or beeswax. This also prevents the confectionery from sticking together.
The confectionery is now ready to be automatically weighed and bagged on the packaging lines.
Good under pressure
Confectionery in liquorice, liquorice in confectionery, liquorice on confectionery or confectionery on liquorice – all these tasty liquorice varieties are created using extrusion production technology.
During extrusion, the viscous mass is pressed through so called screw presses (extruders) under high pressure and high temperatures. In this process, added starch gelatinises the mixture into a homogeneous mass which comes out of specially shaped nozzles in long strands or bands. This is how laces or snails are created, for example. Using broader bands we can produce sandwich type layered confectionery. For this, several different mixtures with coconut or fruit flavour are processed at the same time, via coextrusion. After emerging from the nozzles, these layers are placed on top of each other under pressure and cut to the desired size using a cutting blade.
As with gums and jellies, the next step in the production process is drying and then the confectionery products can be packed and presented on your store’s shelves.
No corners, no edges
For our hard boiled candy, we only use casting production technology. Compared to confectionery that is made using cutting or embossing techniques, this high quality production technique has the great advantage that the confectionery has a particularly smooth shape without any edges.
As this candy is not cut from one strand, but is poured into small moulds, it has an extremely even and smooth surface. With no sharp corners and edges, it offers the best candy eating experience and has an attractive appearance.
In this production process, the hot, liquid candy mixture is poured into moulds. Once the candy has cooled, it is pushed out of the moulds using cylindrical pins. The hard candy then progresses to the packaging line, where a variety of packaging options are available.
Casting technology is also used for the production of our toffees. In a similar way to how our hard candy is made, the previously cooked, liquid toffee mixture is poured through nozzles into the individual silicone moulds.
Packaging
A feast for the eyes
Confectionery belongs to the group of products that are strongly impulse dependent. In fact, confectionery spontaneously ends up in the consumer’s shopping cart in over 70% of the cases. It is therefore important to ensure a striking and appealing presentation of goods at the POS, which draws consumers’ attention to the product.
CCI actively supports you in the design and implementation of your packaging ideas. Our designers collaborate to bring new designs that fit your brand. We can also take care of the printing and production of your packaging.
We’ve got it wrapped!
Appearance is important when choosing packaging, but other key factors include: product quality preservation, food safety, protection of the product and safety during transportation.
Importantly also, packaging provides consumers with purchase relevant and legally binding product information. The list of ingredients, nutritional information and even storage instructions – all of this information is provided by our QA and is assessed in accordance with food regulation requirements.
What type of packaging do you require? We will gladly advise you which packaging type is best suited for your product. Flexible plant technology, with automated technology, enables us to quickly adapt to different types of packaging, individual packaging sizes and different product requirements.
Quality management
Tried and tested
Before a product goes on sale, many control points and legal requirements must be checked. We ensure the quality of the products along the entire process chain. We do so through close monitoring: including analytical and sensory controls of incoming goods, inprocess controls and controls of outgoing goods.
Continuous quality is ensured via strict safety and hygiene regulations, regular hygiene controls, training of our staff by external specialists and self monitoring audits. We ensure correct specifications, marketability, product safety and impeccable quality, as regards all aspects of our products.
We subject our products to regular tests by independent laboratories. This ensures a consistently high quality that you can rely on at all times. This quality assurance is repeatedly confirmed by numerous independent and external certifications such as IFS (International Food Standard) and BRC (British Retail Consortium).
We receive awards from the DLG (German Agricultural Society) for our long standing product quality. Our products regularly win gold and silver awards.
We care for our environment. Sustainability is essential for us as a food producer. We use resources from sustainably sourced palm oil (RSPO), cocoa and chocolate (UTZ, Fair Trade). In addition, we use sustainable packaging that meets the requirements of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).
We also constantly focus on reducing our carbon footprint in the production process. This is achieved through effective energy management and projects, such as the production of gas from our waste in a biogas tank and using solar energy at our factories.
We commit to caring for the people we work with and serve. Health and safety of our colleagues is top priority. We want all our colleagues to be able to go home in good health each and every day. We achieve this by complying with all legal requirements, coaching and training and by making sure our equipment and materials comply with all present and future standards.
Supply Chain & Logistics
We deliver your goods – on time and in full
We share sweet moments with consumers in over 30 countries worldwide.For you, as a customer, a crucial factor is the optimal availability of these products.
Intelligent supply chain management ensures continuity in the delivery of raw materials, cost effective warehousing and an efficient flow of goods. Thanks to state of the art goods management and logistics systems, and close cooperation with leading freight forwarders, we are able to guarantee short delivery times, an effective order to cash process, a high delivery capacity and high product quality.
The supply and delivery of your private brand confectionery is carried out in close coordination with your goods management system and fits into your process chain seamlessly, on a just in time basis. Accurate sales volume planning ensures the constant availability of goods. We ensure efficient shipping to keep costs low.
On time and reliable delivery of your products at your premises!
