NEWS

Each year, more than 20,000 food and beverage products undergo comprehensive analysis by the German Agricultural Society (DLG) Food Testing Center. The Association organizes competitions and presents awards for products that achieve particularly successful results from the analyses and laboratory tests. In December 2007, Ülker brand Sesame Sticks* were chosen to receive the Gold Medal, from among 1,000 products manufactured by 185 European companies.

Products that receive recognition from the DLG have to meet certain criteria;   they must be "high quality products that create consumer satisfaction".  Test results play a decisive role in determining whether the quality of products such as fancy cakes, cookies, cakes and biscuits will meet the demands and expectations of consumers.

Founded in 1885, the German Agricultural Association has more than 17,000 member companies from Germany and around the world and is a leading food and agricultural association in Europe.
Thanks to the DLG’s widely-accepted scientific standards, sensory evaluations of products are also used to determine results.  The DLG, besides identifying and evaluating results from a technical aspect, contrasts those results with the product’s highest level of sensory quality. Products which meet the criteria set out by the DLG are eligible for a Bronze, Silver or Gold DLG Award.

Sesame Sticks are exported to 42 countries
In the cracker market, 62% of the products sold are in the cracker sticks category; the sticks come in plain, sesame, savory, cheese or hot spicy flavors. After plain sticks, the most popular flavor in this particular market segment is sesame. In Turkey, the cracker stick segment of the market has been dominated for many years by Ülker which has a 46% share.  Ülker Sesame Sticks were exported to 42 countries in 2007.

* Ülker Sesame Sticks are exported to markets in some countries under the “Clip” brand name.