03/09/2026

Kormotech Becomes the First Ukrainian Pet Food Company to Receive BRCGS Certification  

RCGS is one of the world's most authoritative standards for food production safety and quality, recognized by leading global retailers and manufacturers. It sets requirements for the entire production process: from supplier verification and raw material control to hygiene, product traceability, packaging, storage, and risk management. The standard is applied at more than 22,000 production sites across more than 130 countries, and its requirements are recognized by leading international brands and retailers.
  For Kormotech, receiving the certification became part of its long-term production strategy and the next stage in developing its quality management system in Ukraine. The company already has experience operating in line with BRCGS requirements at its Kėdainiai, Lithuania, facility, which has been certified to this standard since 2021.
  Every year, Kormotech will undergo a repeat audit and confirm compliance with the standard as part of the regular certification cycle. Kormotech has become the first Ukrainian producer of food for cats and dogs to certify a production site in Ukraine under the BRCGS standard.
  Kormotech operates three production facilities — two in Ukraine and one in Lithuania — with another plant in Lithuania currently under construction. Their combined production capacity exceeds 102,000 tonnes per year. The Ukrainian facilities also operate in accordance with FSSC 22000 requirements, while the Lithuanian plant is certified to BRCGS and IFS Food standards.
  According to Ihor Paraniak, Chief Operating Officer at Kormotech, preparing the Ukrainian facility was more challenging because the production sites in Ukraine were built much earlier than the plant in Lithuania, which was designed from the outset to meet international requirements for production flow organization.
  'When we built the facility in Lithuania, we incorporated BRCGS requirements into the planning of production processes from the very beginning: the movement of raw materials and finished products, employee movement, sanitary zones, and risk control. The Ukrainian production facilities were built earlier, so achieving certification required us to adapt existing processes and systematically address non-conformities. The A grade confirms that the facility is capable of operating at a high international level,' explains Igor Paranyak.
  'A certification audit assesses not an individual product or production line, but the entire food safety and quality management system of the facility. The A grade confirms that the production processes comply with the requirements of the BRCGS standard and that the implemented control systems are effective,' said Serhii Plichko, Lead Auditor, Bureau Veritas Certification Ukraine.   What does certification mean for Kormotech?   BRCGS assesses not an individual product or production line, but the entire safety and quality management system at the facility. 
  The audit covers, in particular: supplier and incoming raw material control; compliance with hygiene and sanitation requirements; production risk management; product traceability at every stage; packaging, storage, and logistics control; the system for responding to potential non-conformities; safety culture and team responsibility.
  Certification also creates additional opportunities for cooperation with international retail chains and partners for whom BRCGS compliance is a mandatory or priority requirement when selecting manufacturers. At the same time, for Kormotech, it is primarily a tool for continuous process improvement rather than a one-time formal inspection.
  'For several years in a row, we have confirmed high BRCGS ratings at our facility in Lithuania. Now our Ukrainian production facility has confirmed the same international level. For us, this is an important signal: even during the full-scale war, the Ukrainian team is capable of implementing complex global standards and meeting the requirements of the global market,' Igor Paranyak concludes. Source: Kormotech
  About Bureau Veritas Certification Ukraine 
Bureau Veritas Certification Ukraine is the Ukrainian division of Bureau Veritas, one of the world's leading companies in inspection, testing, and certification. The company has operated in Ukraine since 2003 and provides conformity assessment services across industry, agriculture, construction, and other sectors.

26/08/2026

Kormotech Explores Brazil and Latin America as Next Growth Opportunities at PET South America 2026

For Kormotech, Brazil represents a significant opportunity within a broader Latin American strategy. The company currently does not have a distributor in Brazil and is using the market to evaluate potential partnerships, while already supplying private label products to Chile and working on registrations in other countries in the region. 

"We are here not only to search clients for the Brazilian market. We are looking more widely for the South American market," says Oleksandra Frayt, export sales manager at Kormotech, who attended the event alongside fellow export manager Olena Kukhar.

The company is particularly interested in finding strong importers and distributors with which it can develop both branded and private label businesses. "We are looking here for the partnership and to find a strong distributor importer with whom we can cooperate and export our brands and also private labels," Frayt explains. "We know that the Brazilian market is very strong and huge."
Brazil as Part of a Broader Regional Strategy
Kormotech's interest in Brazil comes from the country's scale, but the company's strategy extends beyond a single market. According to Frayt, Latin America is being evaluated as a region with potential for future growth, while the company continues to focus primarily on its established European markets.

"Actually, this market is not the main accent for now. We are just here to investigate," she says. Kormotech is currently more concentrated on the Central and Eastern European market but sees Brazil and Latin America as potential opportunities for the future. "But we know that the Brazilian market is growing. Also, Latin America has potential for us. We'll see how it works," she adds. 

The company's regional expansion has already begun elsewhere in South America. Kormotech currently has a partner in Chile and supplies private label products in the country, which Frayt describes as its first market entry in South America.

 "Nowadays we have a partner in Chile. We already supply private labels there. It is the first country we enter South America," Frayt says. She comments that they also started the registration of their brands in Peru, Costa Rica and Colombia. 'It is also interesting to us." 

Regulatory processes, however, are among the main challenges. Kormotech expects to face as it expands across the region. Registration timelines vary significantly between countries, according to Frayt. "The challenges might be these regulations during registration. It will be the first issue," she explains. "Some countries tell us it takes two to four months. Sometimes it can be six months. In Colombia it might take two years."
Premium Brands and Private Label Opportunities
At PET South America, Kormotech presented a portfolio that includes brands positioned in the premium segment, with Delickcious, Optimeal and Club 4 Paws identified by the company as particularly relevant for the Brazilian market. 'They're our premium segment, the most suitable for this market,' Frayt affirms.

The response from visitors during the exhibition provided an initial indication of interest. According to the export manager, visitors approached the Kormotech booth specifically to learn more about Delickcious, while the packaging and recipes also attracted attention.

At the same time, private labels emerged as another relevant opportunity for the company in Latin America. Kormotech says it has developed new recipes that generated interest among potential partners at the event.

The focus on private labels is particularly relevant to Kormotech's regional strategy because it allows the company to work with local partners while leveraging its manufacturing and product development capabilities.
A First Look at the Brazilian Market
Kormotech's participation in PET South America was also an opportunity to understand the market directly and assess the level of interest among potential commercial partners.

The company does not yet have a distributor in Brazil, but Frayt says its traditional model in other markets is to work through distributors. "Nowadays we have no distributor in Brazil. We would like to find such cooperation in Brazil or in other countries of South America. But usually we work through distributors," she says. 

The company's first experience at PET South America provided a significant number of contacts to follow up after the event. Frayt describes the exhibition as busy and highlights the business meetings as one of the most valuable aspects of the company's participation. 

Although Kormotech is still relatively unknown to Brazilian visitors, the company saw an opportunity to introduce its portfolio directly to potential buyers. Even so, she describes the meetings with buyers as productive, particularly during a dedicated meeting program.

According to the executive, Kormotech held a series of short meetings with buyers throughout the morning, with representatives from different Latin American markets. "We had 19 representatives from different countries. Peru, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Uruguay,' she says.

The company left the event with a list of contacts that will require follow-up in the coming weeks. "We have a huge work after this exhibition to follow up with them. We hope we will have business here," Frayt says.

For Kormotech, therefore, the value of PET South America extends beyond immediate sales. The event served as an initial platform for market intelligence, relationship-building, and identifying potential partners across the region.
From Ukraine to Global Markets
Kormotech's interest in Latin America comes within the context of a company that has expanded significantly beyond its Ukrainian origins.

"We are a family-owned company. And we are relatively young. I mean, 23 years old," Frayt says. According to the executive, the company has grown rapidly during that period and currently ranks among the world's top 50 pet food manufacturers and among the top 20 European manufacturers.

Kormotech is also the leader in the Ukrainian market, where the company says it holds a 39% share, and exports its products to 50 countries worldwide. 

Product development is another component of the company's international strategy. "We have our own R&D team, and we can support every customer in every question regarding recipes, flavors, segments, and other questions," Frayt explains.

The company also highlights its international certifications as part of its ability to work with customers across different markets. 

Brazil remains an opportunity under evaluation rather than an established operation. But the company's first participation in the country's leading B2B pet industry event provided an initial network of potential partners and a clearer understanding of the region.

As Frayt puts it, Kormotech is still investigating the market. The next step will be to see "how it works" and determine which relationships developed at the fair can evolve into long-term business.

To learn more about Kormotech's portfolio, private label solutions, and potential distribution partnerships, visit https://kormotech.com/. Source: All Pet Food

03/07/2026

Delickcious Revamps Chunk Shape in Its Wet Cat Food Line  

This decision was driven by an analysis of global trends, particularly the growing demand for maximum naturalness.
  "We are seeing a strong, growing trend toward the humanization of pet food. Today's pet parents want to see natural-looking food in their pets' bowls. Perfectly identical, geometric chunks are gradually losing relevance because real meat simply doesn't look like that," explains Yelyzaveta Medushivska, Senior Brand Manager for Delickcious. "That's why we decided to switch to irregular chunks for our complete wet cat food line. First, it gives the product a much more natural appearance. Second, the juicy, whole chunks in varying shapes create a highly appetizing texture. Most importantly, we've implemented an updated cooking technology that makes the flavor even richer."
  Internal research has shown that cats actually prefer the taste of the new format over the previous version. This confirmed the team's hypothesis: the shape of a chunk influences not just the visual appeal of the product, but the actual tasting experience for the pets.
  "We knew that palatability is a core feature for Delickcious. Therefore, it was crucial for us to not just change the shape, but to ensure it positively affected how pets perceive the food," notes Andriy Savchuk, Product Manager at Kormotech. "During testing, we kept the recipe exactly the same—we only changed the shape of the chunk. The results showed that the product performed better in comparative palatability tests. This proved that the new shape doesn't just look more natural, but actually makes the food even more appealing to cats."
  The update applies to three complete wet cat food recipes:
  Chunks with salmon and mussels in gravy; Chunks with lamb, chicken fillet, and green beans in jelly; Chunks with duck, chicken fillet, and spinach in gravy. Source: Kormotech