Nutriswiss AG has received organic certification for its oil mill in Wohlen, Switzerland, paving the way for the flexible expansion of its operations in the production of organic edible oils. The Bio Suisse certification confirms the company’s ability to process locally grown organic Swiss oilseeds directly at source and refine high-quality organic seeds from within the EU in adherence with strict regulatory and traceability standards.
Around 85% of the oils and fats refined and supplied by Nutriswiss are plant-based, with the share of organic products continuing to rise. These raw materials are largely purchased on local and international markets or provided by Nutriswiss customers for contract refining. The organic certification of Nutriswiss’s own oil mill in Wohlen, canton of Aargau, closes a key gap in the company’s organic portfolio.
Pierre Nording, Head of Procurement at Nutriswiss AG, is responsible for implementing the company’s organic strategy on site. “The oil mill has been pressing edible oil for Nutriswiss since 2008. In 2022, we took over the facility entirely and decided to extend our organic offering across the full value chain. The first organic audit for oilseeds took place as early as autumn 2023,” he explains.
The Wohlen site primarily processes rapeseed and sunflower seeds grown in Switzerland, including high oleic (HO) varieties. These are rich in heat-resistant oleic acid and particularly well suited for frying and deep-frying applications. The site also processes soybeans and linseed, as well as imported organic raw materials.
Two production lines are in place: the larger one – consisting of a pre-press and main press – primarily processes rapeseed with a capacity of approximately 3.5 tonnes per hour. In addition, a smaller single-stage press handles flexible production of smaller oil batches at around 500 kg per hour. Full traceability of all batches and process steps is ensured. Organic seeds and oils are stored in dedicated silos and tanks at the site. During product transitions, any intermediate phases are processed separately in compliance with regulations and marketed without the organic label. A total of nine tanks provide interim storage for up to 1,900 tonnes of crude oil, which is then transported by Centravo Group tankers for refining in Lyss. The adjacent organic-certified Freiamt Grain Centre provides total storage capacity for 24,000 tonnes of grain and oilseeds.
While the share of organically grown oilseeds within Switzerland remains low, a significant portion of the organic seeds processed comes from imports – an area in which Nutriswiss expects to see sustainable future growth. Thanks to full organic certification across all internal production stages, Pierre Nording believes the company is well positioned to leverage this opportunity: “In addition to the Bio Suisse label, we are certified under the EU Organic Regulation and the China National Organic Standard. Batches are kept just as strictly separate as conventional and organic oils, in line with respective regulatory requirements.”
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