Mikhail Mishustin, Chairman of the Russian Government, held a meeting in Moscow with Valery Kustov, Chairman of the EFKO’s Board of Directors. The discussion focused on the training of promising personnel and the company’s innovative biotechnology projects.

"Your company has been in the agricultural industry for over 25 years. You ensure food security, you process oilseeds," Mr. Mishustin opened the meeting. "The President highlighted that the quality of Russian food products continues to be very high. I know people are pleased when they purchase domestic products without any additives. Please update us on how the work is progressing and what your plans entail."

Mr. Kustov shared his perspective on the primary factor behind the company's competitiveness, identifying it as the development and execution of an efficient production and staff training model.

“We are searching for talents and establishing conditions for their self-fulfillment. This is likely the most crucial task," Valery Kustov says. "It enables us, on one hand, to grow our traditional food business, and on the other, to pursue innovation. Talents, of course, need engaging projects. Considering the investment volume, we had 30 billion rubles last year. Half was invested in innovation, and half in the classic food business. This year, our plan exceeds 40 billion rubles. Sales volume growth was 20%. I'm confident there will be a lot more this year."

EFKO's projects in biotechnology have also seen significant development in recent years. In particular, at the facilities of the agrobiotech cluster in the Belgorod region, the company's scientists have developed technologies for producing feed enzymes, which contribute to import substitution in the agro-industrial complex.

Another promising project offers potential for enhancing diabetes treatment effectiveness: "The proposal was to substitute sugar with sweet-tasting proteins. These products provide a sense of sweetness without triggering an insulin response," Valery Kustov explained. "We have obtained certification for producing and selling sweet-tasting proteins not only in the EAEU but also in the Gulf countries. This creates a distinct export potential for our country. Even if we replace 10% of sugar with our proteins, that would already be billions in export revenue. In addition, we have developed recipes and technologies for the production of confectionery products with sweet-tasting protein: these are sweets, gingerbread, and other products."

Mikhail Mishustin asked whether there was a taste difference between traditional sugar and sweet-tasting protein. After all, people who use sugar substitutes usually complain about the taste of something else.

"None. After all, we developed not only technological lines for the production of the sweet-tasting protein but also technologies for the production of sweets," Valery Kustov emphasized the inappropriateness of any consumer compromises in this matter. He also drew the Prime Minister's attention to another project in biotechnology, where similar technologies are used: biosynthesized fats. "But this is not yet a project of the same level of maturity as sweet protein. However, due to this, we think that cocoa butter imports could be halted by 2026. It is quite an expensive product. And biosynthesized cocoa butter is already cheaper. So these are biotechnologies that are cost-effective.”

"Thank you, Mr. Kustov," Mikhail Mishustin concluded. "The projects are outstanding. Advanced technologies frequently provide a strong boost to adjacent industries. I wish you and your team the best of luck in bringing all your planned projects to fruition."