In 1998, Carstens founded the company BIO-FROST to process organic vegetables from Schleswig-Holstein. Since its founding in 1998, BIO-FROST Westhof GmbH has been the only company in Germany that specializes in processing vegetables from certified organic farms. "We only process organic produce," he said.
BIO-FROST's frozen vegetables provide raw materials for the processing industry, with about 65% used in the manufacture of baby food and the rest purchased by companies that produce ready-to-eat meals. "Deep freezing is, in my opinion, the best way to preserve fresh food," the CEO explained. "Vegetables are frozen in very good conditions, and quality is guaranteed due to the extremely short transport routes."
"The demand for organic frozen food has grown rapidly over the past 20 years. Traditional retailers are also paying attention to the products of BIO-FROST Westhof GmbH," explains Carstens.
Even in the processing industry, regionalization trends cannot be ignored. "In terms of fresh vegetables, we have been focusing on localization for five years, but the location of Schleswig-Holstein is not ideal, with only 2 million inhabitants and 2 million in Hamburg, so there aren't enough buyers. What's more, we're not the only organic business in the region. But the range of frozen vegetables is slightly larger. "All the retailers I know want vegetables from this area," Carstens said. As far as deep-frozen food is concerned, the scope can be extended to the whole of Germany. "
Carstens wants to set a good example for other companies, as many processors believe the move to purely organic processing is too complicated. "Change is never easy, and it takes a lot of work, but it's all worth it."