Lviv City Council in cooperation with Miks Digital agency and with the support of the USAID Competitive Economy Program in Ukraine is implementing a project to provide marketing support to ten Ukrainian businesses. We would like to introduce you to the ninth business, SERGIO, a Ukrainian brand from Nemishayeve, Kyiv Oblast, that produces natural sweets, dried fruits, and fruit snacks.

The company withstood the temporary occupation and was able to resume production of high-quality and natural Ukrainian products using a technology that preserves all minerals without smoking or adding flavorings, preservatives, or fats.
In the production process, the brand uses several industrial drying technologies to preserve the natural flavor and nutritional components of the finished product.

Having studied all available drying technologies, the brand chose the technology that uses infrared radiation. It allows the drying process to be carried out at a low temperature (40-60 °C), which results in almost complete preservation of vitamins, biologically active substances, natural color, taste, and aroma of dried products. Compared to convection drying, fruits, berries, and vegetables subjected to infrared drying have a taste as close to their fresh counterparts as possible after recovery. The product obtained as a result of infrared drying does not require special storage conditions and is resistant to microbial growth. The products can be stored for a year without special containers (at low ambient humidity), with vitamin losses of no more than 5-15%. The product can be stored in sealed containers for up to two years.

When preparing raw materials, the brand does not use sulfur dioxide, citric acid, or sweeteners. This is the main technological advantage of all Sergio products. Only fruit and nothing else is the company’s motto!

For the production of FruitFetta candies, the brand uses exclusively berries and fruits grown in Ukraine. Only sugar is added to the fruit and berry mass and dried at a temperature not exceeding 55 °C, using a mixed technology that combines convection and infrared drying. This helps preserve vitamins and all the beneficial trace elements of berries and fruits.

Entrepreneurs plan to increase their presence in international markets (Finland, the UK, France, and the UAE).