Zalea starts selling ostrich pate - Avestruces Zalea - Brief Article

Eurofood, August 31, 2000

Spanish ostrich pate producer, Avestruces Zalea, is the first Andalucian company to sell ostrich sausage and pate using their own brand name. The firm started producing ostrich salami, sausage and pate two months ago, using the brand name Carnavest.

These products are currently being distributed to supermarkets and butchers in the Malaga province, but local sources say that the company has plans to expand sales to the rest of the country in the mid-term. "We have started to make contacts with suppliers in other provinces. We want to expand, but our main objective is to do it slowly, and in a series of steps, in order to make a solid impact," company manager, Francisco Robles.

Zalea has been reported to have produced an average of 200kg of meat a week for the past 60 days. The company started manufacturing sausages at practically the same time they were given authorisation by the government to kill the birds. Until now, Andalucian abattoirs were not authorised to kill ostriches and breeders in the region had to find slaughterhouses outside the province. Avestruces Zalea has recently formed an alliance with Carnicas Mediterraneo abattoir. The company will be responsible for the entire production process from reproduction and fattening up to slaughtering and distribution. Avestruces Zalea started up in 1999. The company invested Pta30m in a 70 000[m.sup.2] farm, which currently holds 180 ostriches.

HEALTHY ALTERNATIVE

There are around 200 ostrich farms in the Andalucian province, 120 of which are members of the Ostrich Producers' Association. Although the ostrich is not a customary choice of meat, it is renowned for being environmentally friendly. "Ostrich meat is becoming more and more popular due to its biological characteristics", according to Ostrich Producers Association president. "The meat is low in fat and rich in iron and potassium".