Due to the current circumstances related to the outbreak of the new Coronavirus (COVID-19), we inform that Frulact has set up a working group that is following the evolution of the situation, as well as following the WHO recommendations, in order to, with common sense and sense of responsibility, taking the measures deemed appropriate to i) contribute to the control of its spread and ii) minimize the impacts on the supply chain.
This working group decided after the last meeting:
- To suspend Frulact employees’ trips to the following countries: China, Singapore, South Korea and Italy, promoting remote interactions with partners in these countries.
- To inform all our stakeholders that:
- So far, no Frulact employees in any of our units or central services have been affected by Coronavirus, and we are proceeding with a contingency plan according to the indications of the competent health entities;
- Our units have been working normally, and;
- Our Customers, depending on the geographical area where their plants are located, are supplied by our units in Portugal, France, Morocco, South Africa and Canada, and so far, there are no restrictions on the normal supply of our products.
Our supply chain is based on 2 main categories of raw materials:
Fruits: in this category only 5% are supplied from China, for which we have already triggered alternative sources of supply.
Other Ingredients: in this category we identify: i) raw materials produced in China, ii) raw materials consisting of components produced in China, iii) raw materials that do not meet the 2 above criteria but are raw materials that significantly impact our product portfolio.
For each of the situations described, we are implementing initiatives that include the increasing of stocks and the activation of alternative sources of supply, so we do not foresee any significant impact on supply at the moment.
We will continue to actively and carefully monitor the evolution of the situation, to take the appropriate measures at all times, and we will inform our customers in particular if the current picture changes significantly
Finally, we provide a communication line dedicated exclusively to this matter, where you can direct all questions related to it – covid19@frulact.com.
We will try to answer all questions within 48 hours.
Maia, March 2nd, 2020