Food
The PRIMLAKS Food Division is focused on seafood, fruits and vegetables. PRIMLAKS is one of the oldest distributors of frozen fish in Nigeria and has been trusted to provide food for families since 1974, distributing species such as Mackerel, Horse Mackerel, Herring, and Blue Whiting.
With close to 20,000 metric tons of cold storage capacity spread throughout the country, PRIMLAKS has invested heavily in efficient and environmentally friendly refrigeration technology in order to deliver fish to millions of Nigerians at prices they can afford. The delicious fish PRIMLAKS sources, stores and distributes provides essential health giving Omega-3 fatty acids and are the cheapest source of meat protein.
PRIMLAKS is also a pioneer in the Nigerian fish-trawling sector having commenced operations in 1981 with top quality seafood processed, packed and sold both locally and internationally under the Prim7Stars brand.
More recently in 2013 PRIMLAKS commenced production of Individually Quick Frozen (IQF) Fruits and Vegetables processed, packed and supplied in its top quality Sympli brand.
Research indicates that frozen fruits and vegetables are very healthy as they are harvested at their peak ripeness, a period when they are packed with the most nutrients, and then flash frozen within a very short time interval. The process of quick freezing fruits and vegetables preserves them in their nutritionally top state full of vitamins and antioxidants and also prevents the growth of bacteria.
Apart from locking in peak nutritional value IQF also increases storage life resulting in less food wastage. PRIMLAKS is a pioneer in this segment having ventured into IQF production upon seeing a good business opportunity that could simultaneously tackle the 40% post-harvest loss Nigeria is facing. PRIMLAKS regards this post-harvest loss as an unnecessary spoilage and is doing its part to reduce food wastage, create jobs in agriculture and generate foreign exchange earnings.
Sympli IQF Fruits and Vegetables are sold both locally and abroad. The range currently consists of Nigerian Chillies like 'Atarodo', 'Sombo' and 'Tatase'; local delicacies like 'Yam Fries', 'Yam Chunks', ‘Plantain Chips' and ripe plantain 'Dodo', as well as ready to eat frozen like ‘Pineapple Delight', ‘Papaya Delight' and ‘Mango Delight', which are all packaged in consumer-friendly standard pack sizes.
PRIMLAKS supplies the Sympli brand to well-known supermarkets and is also catering to Hotels, Restaurants and Caterers (HORECA) and the ingredient trade. Products are offered in bulk for commercial buyers to avoid unnecessary packaging expense. The advantages for businesses looking to purchase frozen fruits and vegetables are numerous, from loss prevention due to longer shelf life, to easier stock control and financial savings based on labour time saved due to convenience.
The PRIMLAKS IQF factory is HACCP compliant and approved for production by The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and The Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON). Halal and Kosher certification are also in place and British Retail Consortium Certification is currently under process. The plant is run in line with Good Manufacturing Processes and Standard Operating Procedures.
Sympli products were recently on display at ANUGA 2013 where the company was the sole exhibitor from Nigeria amongst 7,000 other companies displaying their products from around the world. The products received a lot of interest, especially from ethnic food buyers who were attracted to Sympli products because of their delicious taste, quality and because they cater to Africans in diaspora who are looking for products which are ‘Delicious Like Home'.
