Moguntia Food Group

Moguntia Food Group AG (stylised MOGUNTIA FOOD GROUP) is a German manufacturer of seasoning and functional food ingredients. The company concentrates on the production and distribution of products for the butcher trade, the meat-processing industry, the wider food industry, food retail, and the catering and institutional-catering sectors. Its product range spans raw, sausage, decoration and delicatessen seasonings through to household spices, as well as flavourings and food additives. It also supplies processing aids such as cutter aids, curing aids, flavour enhancers, emulsifiers and starter cultures, alongside ready-made marinades, sauces and convenience products such as soups and broths. The business was founded in 1903 by the butcher Friedrich Buchholz in Mainz, who derived the name Moguntia from Mogontiacum, the ancient Roman name for the city. Over the twentieth century the family-run firm grew into a group with several brands, and in 2017 the umbrella organisation Moguntia Food Group was created to unite them. Production takes place at sites including Kirchbichl in Austria, Georgsmarienhütte in Germany, Gossau ZH in Switzerland and Hetton-le-Hole in the United Kingdom. Beyond Germany and Austria, the company's business territory is focused mainly on Eastern European countries such as Russia, Poland, Ukraine and Kazakhstan, but also extends to Japan and the Middle East. In addition to its Mainz base it maintains branches in Kirchbichl (Austria), Gossau ZH (Switzerland), Hetton-le-Hole (United Kingdom) and Mundolsheim (France), and has representatives in several European and Asian countries. Moguntia has a long record of technical innovation in meat processing, from early standardised sausage seasoning blends in the late nineteenth century to patented phosphates as cutter aids, ascorbic-acid curing aids, cold grinding of spices, steam decontamination, emulsifiers and starter cultures. The company remains active as a supplier of seasoning systems and functional ingredients to the meat and food industries.

Moguntia was founded in 1903 by the butcher Friedrich Buchholz in Mainz. He derived the company name from Mogontiacum, the ancient Roman name for the city of Mainz. The firm began as a supplier of seasoning products for the butcher trade, and its early innovation included the first sausage seasoning blends, which Friedrich Buchholz standardised and packed in fixed recipes in 1895. Over the following decades the family-run business grew into a group with several brands. Its technical innovations included the patent application for phosphates as cutter aids (Perfektin) in 1948, followed a year later by the invention of "Farbfest" (the addition of ascorbic acid as a curing aid in sausage production). In the 1950s the company patented the cold grinding process for spices ("Friosafe", 1954) and invented "Clean Tec" steam decontamination to kill microorganisms in 1955. In 1971 the surface-active liver sausage emulsifier "Optimix" was introduced, and six years later "Fixreif", a rapid-ripening system for raw sausage, was established on the market. In the 1980s the universal "Optiprall" scalded-sausage emulsifier was introduced (1984), along with the production of the first thermally treated, germ-reduced seasoning blends for raw sausage production (1988). 1991 saw the market launch of "Bindus", the first patented declaration-free cutter aid. New starter cultures enabling an ideal ripening process for spreadable raw sausages ("Redstart") were used from 1999. Further innovations followed from 2000, including the use of the new Gridmaster technology (drying, smoking and cooking cooked cured products in a single operation) from 2001, and the registration of the first liquid curing technology ("Farbfest liquid Rubin") in 2006. The most recent developments were "Zartling CL fruchtig", a meat refiner based on fruit extracts (on the market since 2007), and the development of various pesto varieties as cubes or granules (since 2008). The continuous growth of the family-run company into a group with several brands led in 2017 to the founding of the umbrella organisation Moguntia Food Group. The group produces at sites including Kirchbichl in Austria, Georgsmarienhütte in Germany, Gossau ZH in Switzerland and Hetton-le-Hole in the United Kingdom. In addition to Germany and Austria, its business territory mainly covers Eastern European countries such as Russia, Poland, Ukraine and Kazakhstan, but also Japan and the Middle East. Besides Mainz, it has branches in Kirchbichl (Austria), Gossau ZH (Switzerland), Hetton-le-Hole (United Kingdom) and Mundolsheim (France), as well as representatives in several European and Asian countries. The old spice mill in Zahlbach, now part of the Mainz districts of Bretzenheim and Oberstadt, was occupied in the 1930s and shut down in 2001. The building, originally erected in 1925 for a shoe factory, was given its U-shape in 1938 and 1950, with the spice mill tower (1952) forming its visual centre. After closure, the listed building hosted several art exhibitions. From October 2006 demolition work began on the site, although the listed grinding tower was preserved. After the remaining buildings were completely demolished, a residential complex of 137 apartments was built on the site by 2009, integrating the renovated grinding tower.

• 2017

  Founding of the umbrella organisation Moguntia Food Group.

• 2008

  Development of various pesto varieties as cubes or granules.

• 2007

  "Zartling CL fruchtig", a meat refiner based on fruit extracts, comes onto the market.

• 2006

  Registration of the first liquid curing technology ("Farbfest liquid Rubin").

• 2001

  Use of Gridmaster technology (drying, smoking and cooking cooked cured products in one operation).

• 1999

  New starter cultures ("Redstart") for spreadable raw sausages are introduced.

• 1991

  Market launch of "Bindus", the first patented declaration-free cutter aid.

• 1988

  Production of the first thermally treated, germ-reduced seasoning blends for raw sausage production.

• 1984

  Introduction of the universal "Optiprall" scalded-sausage emulsifier.

• 1977

  "Fixreif", a rapid-ripening system for raw sausage, is established on the market.

• 1971

  Introduction of the surface-active liver sausage emulsifier "Optimix".

• 1955

  Invention of "Clean Tec" steam decontamination to kill microorganisms.

• 1954

  Patent for the cold grinding process for spices ("Friosafe").

• 1949

  Invention of "Farbfest" (addition of ascorbic acid as a curing aid in sausage production).

• 1948

  Patent application for phosphates as cutter aids (Perfektin).

• 1903

  Moguntia is founded by the butcher Friedrich Buchholz in Mainz.

• 1895

  Friedrich Buchholz standardises and packs the first sausage seasoning blends in fixed recipes.

Supplier of seasoning systems and functional ingredients for the meat trade, meat-processing industry, food industry, food retail and catering, with a long heritage of meat-technology innovation.

• Perfektin

  Phosphate-based cutter aid, patented in 1948.

• Farbfest

  Curing aid using ascorbic acid, invented in 1949.

• Friosafe

  Cold grinding process for spices, patented in 1954.

• Optimix

  Surface-active liver sausage emulsifier introduced in 1971.

• Fixreif

  Rapid-ripening system for raw sausage, established in 1977.

• Optiprall

  Universal scalded-sausage emulsifier introduced in 1984.

• Bindus

  First patented declaration-free cutter aid, launched in 1991.

• Redstart

  Starter cultures for spreadable raw sausages, used from 1999.

• Gridmaster

  Technology for drying, smoking and cooking cooked cured products in one operation, used from 2001.

• Farbfest liquid Rubin

  First liquid curing technology, registered in 2006.

• Zartling CL fruchtig

  Meat refiner based on fruit extracts, on the market since 2007.

1. 1Moguntia Food Group – Wikidatawikidata.org
2. 2Moguntia (Unternehmen) – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org