(MUSS NOCH ANGEPASST WERDEN)

Who would have imagined that the carob of Crete, the misunderstood superfood of the occupation, would evolve into a superfood especially loved by the general public with multiple health benefits.
The bold move was made by the founder of Creta Carob. With its establishment in Argyroupoli, Rethymnon, in 2006, it was destined to become the pride of the place, as the tree it uses in its production, the carob, apart from being organically grown, is native to many areas of the Mediterranean and Greece, especially Crete and Cyprus, so the raw material is in abundance. The company uses 100% Cretan carob trees as it makes the most of existing trees and in this way has almost doubled the value of the product. Thus, anyone who has carob trees in their field, collects the fruit and helps in its utilization, which is perfectly in line with the standard of an ecological production with a very low energy footprint, according to which Creta Carob operates. With the increase in production, Creta Carob has proceeded with full environmental sensitivity in the cultivation of carob, as consumer needs have grown.

Of course, it was not easy to take the carob out of the ground and process it. Before Creta Carob was founded, there was a big gap in expertise and most people held the idea that carob was only ”food for livestock”, or ”the chocolate of the occupation”. So the first steps were taken slowly but surely. Five years after the foundation, and despite the vague time horizon of investment success, Creta Carob started operations in 2011, when the first products were launched on the market. In fact, because there was no machinery for processing and processing carob, the company created the tools it needed by registering its own patents (A patent is an exclusive right of use granted for a certain period of time to the inventor (natural or legal person) of a new method, substance or mechanism).

Today Creta Carob manages to increase its turnover steadily, while more than 50% of its products are exported abroad, where carob is much more popular than in Greece. The rest is absorbed in the domestic market. The company produces about fifty (50) different products, exclusively from carob, all of high nutritional value, with natural sweeteners (no added sugar). From carob honey, carob powder, coffee, nutritional bars, breadsticks, spaghetti, to carob pectin, even anti-aging creams and cosmetic products. Of course there are continuous improvements to existing products following strict health rules.

Among other things, Creta Carob has invested in research, as in collaboration with the Agricultural University of Athens, it has created “carobite”, an ecological, high nutritional value and low fat dessert snack that is fast satiating. The innovative carobite received third place in the European competition of innovative food products Ecotrophelia 2014. Creta Carob is also collaborating with the Aretaios Hospital to create a product that helps patients with kidney problems.

All in all, Creta Carob is a purely Greek company with numerous innovations and respect for the natural environment. Aiming to promote carob as a product of high nutritional value, it promotes an alternative lifestyle and natural healing. Most importantly, by taking the misunderstood carob and putting it into our lives, Creta Carob has managed to turn the ‘forgotten treasure of Crete’, as its founder admits, into a superfood that evolves the place and its people. In short, it is the pride of our land.