The success story of RAPS GmbH & Co.
KG began 100 years ago, having been founded by Adalbert Raps as a spice trading company in Hamburg. RAPS is now a leading international supplier of individual flavour concepts and functional ingredients. Headquartered in Kulmbach in Upper Franconia, Germany, the family-owned company is represented in all core European markets by 17 subsidiaries and supports its customers with more than 40 distribution partners around the globe. Production takes place at seven of its own sites in Germany and Austria: RAPS currently employs more than 900 people and processes more than 1,700 raw materials from all over the world, producing almost 40,000 tonnes of high-quality food ingredients and additives annually.
Pharmacist Adalbert Raps started out by producing spice blends for sausage products. He then developed a process for the creation of salt-free products and became successful with the introduction of Glutalin. Today, the portfolio still includes spices, herbs, customised spice blends, seasoning sauces, marinades, preparations and pastes. But RAPS now also offers functional ingredients and compounds, starter cultures and sausage casings for the production of meat and sausage products. RAPS also offers a wide range of ingredients and solutions for hybrid, vegetarian and vegan alternatives. Natural flavours, CO2 extracts and microencapsulated raw materials complete the portfolio. RAPS’ customers include butchers, the meat industry and food service providers, as well as manufacturers of bread and bakery products, dairy products, snacks and confectionery.
Quality, technology and Innovation
RAPS ensures the high quality of its products through strict standards for sourcing, cultivation and harvesting, as well as the careful processing of raw materials.
Thanks in part to its own technologies such as biofreeze cold grinding, state-of-the-art dry mixing processes, liquid plant and HD extraction, RAPS has complete control of all the important process steps. Microencapsulation plays a key role too: RAPS was a pioneer in the use of this technology and provides ingredients with special functionalities, such as controlled flavour release or reduction of salt without affecting taste.
Taking responsibility for a sustainable future
Saving energy, conserving resources, minimising emissions and thus contributing to climate protection: RAPS works with its own sustainability team to continuously improve its operational processes. For RAPS, acting sustainably also means assuming social responsibility in the region: “What has always been a top priority for my family is something we continue to do consistently: firmly rooted in Upper Franconia, we grow with a sense of proportion, promote young talent, create opportunities for people of all backgrounds and are committed to working for the common good,” explains Frank Kühne, member of the founding family, main shareholder, Chairman of the Advisory Board of RAPS and Chairman of the Adalbert Raps Foundation. “We have been developing and producing outstanding food ingredients for 100 years,” says Florian Knell, CEO of the RAPS Group. “Continuing this success story is both an incentive and a mission for us. The success of our customers is inextricably linked to this. That’s why we continuously invest in the latest technologies, are creative trendsetters and bring the best flavours to the world.”
www.raps.com