Miller Magazine Issue: 148 April 2022

91 INTERVIEW MILLER / APRIL 2022 ably dried vegetables rice and soup mixes, gourmet products (Chia, quinoa, flaxseed, amaranth, etc.) as well as conventional rice, bulgur and pulses under the ‘Cook & Eat’ category; boiled pulses under the ‘Open & Use’ category; stews, ready-made salads, olive oil dishes and compotes under the ‘Open & Eat’ category; and various soups, pastas, bulgur pilafs, rice pilafs and meat dishes under the ‘Heat & Eat’ category. According to Niel- sen 2021 data, we are the market leader in the rice and pulses industry. Do you also ship these products to foreign markets? We mainly provide services abroad with our Legurme brand. We produce ‘Cook & Eat’, ‘Open & Eat’, ‘Heat & Eat’ and ‘Open & Use’ products with Legurme. Legurme’s wide range of clas- sic rice and pulses products, gourmet delicacies (Chia, quinoa, flaxseed, etc.) and ready-to-eat, practical, additive-free products meet consumers in many countries around the world, especially in Europe. Our Legurme brand has been supported under the scope of the "Turquality Brand Support Program" of the Turkish Ministry of Commerce since 2020. You have studies on sustainable production and the envi- ronment. Can you tell us about your goals in this regard? As a result of our efforts towards our sustainable growth tar- gets, we became the first company in the pulses industry to receive a Carbon Footprint Declaration Report. Our goal is to become a “Carbon Neutral” company by 2050. Our R&D Center, which we established in 2018 and was ap- proved by the Ministry of Industry and Technology, carries out studies to develop new products and technologies in line with changing consumer habits and customer demands. The Soup’s On range, which includes many additive-free, preservative-free food options with home-like flavors, is among the products we offer to the market as a result of our R&D studies. How has the pandemic affected our eating habits? Living conditions are changing very quickly. We are continu- ously moving away from our traditional cuisine and eating style. On the other hand, there is a healthy and high-quality nutrition trend that is on the rise with the pandemic. We want to consume reliable, nutritious, hygienic and quality food that we know what’s in it. What we eat determines many things ranging from our health to our lifestyle to how we feel ourselves. With our ‘Soup’s On’ range, we offer products that make life easier, practical, hygienic and that everyone can consume safely. Our additive-free, pre-