"We are committed to reducing our environmental impact from every angle."
The Gallo Group is a leading manufacturer and marketer of pasta in Spain, with a value share of nearly 30% in dry pasta. Owned by the ProA Capital fund since 2019, Gallo has four factories in Spain, three in Catalonia.
Gallo was founded by a young entrepreneur, José Espona, who in 1946 acquired a flour mill in Rubí, focusing on durum wheat. How has the company evolved since then, until its acquisition by the ProA Capital fund?
Since its founding in 1946 by José Espona, Gallo has evolved from a pioneer in the production of durum wheat pasta in Spain to a modern, innovative, and versatile food group. The company has adapted to market changes and new consumer demands, expanding its product portfolio while always maintaining its commitment to quality.
A clear example was the launch of the "Gluten-Free" range in 2004 and the transformation of our Esparreguera factory in 2015 into the only plant dedicated exclusively to gluten-free pasta on the Iberian Peninsula. Ten years later, it remains the only one of its kind on the peninsula. Furthermore, we have entered new categories with the acquisition of the Ta-Tung brand, specializing in Asian dishes, and our foray into the 100% natural broth market in 2022. With the backing of ProA Capital, we continue to promote a strategy focused on quality, innovation, and sustainability, consolidating our position as a benchmark in food for all audiences.
The core of our business remains pasta, but we're expanding our value proposition. We want to be recognized not just as a pasta company but as a food group that offers products tailored to all types of consumer habits.
The Gallo Group is a leader in pasta. What is its position in Spain?
Pasta remains the core of our business, and we are continually innovating to offer new varieties of this healthy Mediterranean food to adapt to all types of consumption habits and nutritional needs. However, sales of other types of products, such as natural sauces and broths, are growing. These adapt to the fast-paced lifestyles of today's consumers, who prioritize speed and convenience in the kitchen (and are also closely associated with the world of pasta).
What are your most sold references?
Our best-selling pastas continue to be our classic pastas, which represent the company's origins and are the core of our catalog, reflecting the traditional consumption habits of Spanish households. Varieties such as Plumas No. 6, Spaghetti No. 3, and Fideo No. 0 occupy the top spots in sales, as they are the most common options in everyday cooking and are a versatile base for many recipes. This category remains the broadest in our portfolio due to the large number of varieties it offers. Our salad pasta, which Gallo introduced in Spain, is also among our best-selling items, thanks to the many shapes and flavors we offer.
However, in recent years we have seen an increase in sales of new varieties that respond to the growing interest in health, quality, and convenience. For example, our Premium Bronze Pasta, launched last year, as well as our 3-minute quick-cooking pasta and 100% legume varieties.
How do you combat competition from white label brands?
Competing with private label brands is a constant challenge for all brands, but at Gallo we firmly believe in differentiation through three fundamental principles: quality, proximity, and innovation.
We work primarily with raw materials from local suppliers, which allows us to guarantee a sustainable and top-quality product. We also continually invest in innovation to adapt to new market needs and trends: from our Gluten-Free range to more recent offerings like Disney character pasta, designed for children.
This combination of tradition, proximity, and innovation allows us to offer added value beyond price and remain the trusted brand for millions of homes.
Gallo has four factories in Spain. What is your roadmap for sustainable production?
At Gallo, we understand sustainability as a fundamental pillar of our way of working. It's part of our identity and our commitment to doing things well, not only considering the present, but also the long-term impact we generate. Beyond meeting minimum environmental standards, our goal at Grupo Gallo is to be a benchmark among food companies.
Indeed, we have four production centers in Spain, three of which are located in Catalonia: Granollers, Esparreguera, Sant Vicenç dels Horts (Ta-Tung), and one in El Carpio, Córdoba. In all of them, we are promoting practices that allow us to minimize our environmental footprint, optimizing processes, using local raw materials, and working with suppliers who share our values. We are committed to reducing our environmental impact from all angles: energy efficiency, responsible water management, waste reduction, process optimization, and the selection of local raw materials.
We invest in new technologies such as aseptic packaging, recently implemented at our Granollers plant with an investment of more than €15 million, which allows us to develop new categories such as 100% natural broths with greater guarantees of safety, efficiency, and sustainability. Our approach is to move forward consistently, maintaining the quality that defines us, but with an ever-stronger commitment to responsible production.
How do they contribute to promoting the circular economy?
We promote the circular economy and approach it from various perspectives. One of the most innovative is the pilot project we launched last year with Fertiberia to promote the use of low-emission "Impact Zero" fertilizers made with green hydrogen. Its application to the cultivation of durum wheat, our main raw material, reduces CO2 emissions by more than half compared to conventional fertilizers.
We also collaborate with the University of Córdoba and Agrovegetal on initiatives seeking wheat varieties that are more resistant to drought and climate change, which are key to more sustainable and resilient agriculture. At the same time, we invest resources in manufacturing increasingly recyclable and lower-impact packaging, applying eco-design principles and innovating with solutions that balance functionality, food safety, and sustainability. In this regard, 80% of Gallo's packaging is recyclable, and 79% at Ta-Tung. For us, the circular economy means considering the entire product lifecycle, and our responsibility as a leading brand is to facilitate this cycle to become increasingly efficient and environmentally friendly.
How do you treat waste?
We implement responsible and sustainable waste management throughout our entire production chain, focusing on a total utilization model that eliminates waste. A clear example is our broth plant, where we work with 100% natural ingredients and whose organic surplus is used to produce animal feed. This way, we give a second life to 99% of the waste we generate.
Furthermore, we optimize processes from the beginning, starting with the selection of responsible raw materials, to the end, using recyclable packaging and formats that minimize material use. All of this is part of our commitment to cleaner, more efficient, and environmentally friendly production.
What criteria are you implementing to achieve more sustainable packaging? Are you implementing eco-design measures?
At Gallo, we strive for more sustainable packaging, with dimensions and thicknesses kept to the minimum necessary, combined with the choice of recyclable and recycled materials whenever possible. Sustainability is becoming a requirement for our packaging, as have always been product protection, industrial efficiency, communication, and consumer convenience. We have recently drafted and are implementing our Packaging Ecodesign policy, as part of our global ESG strategy, with the primary objective of incorporating sustainability criteria into packaging decisions in all our projects.
Do you use recycled plastic for your pasta packaging? Have you tried other materials?
In our pasta packaging, the plastic is made from a single PP material (no blends or laminations with other materials) and is therefore 100% recyclable. Other plastics such as PET, which open the door to the use of post-consumer recycled materials, are not suitable for pasta packaging, so we are working to introduce recycled plastics to other products (rigid plate trays).
You make limited editions of your products. Are you satisfied with the consumer response?
To date, the only limited-edition product we've launched has been Halloween Mickey, part of our Disney children's pasta line. It was a very special collaboration with Disney to celebrate Halloween with a fun and nutritious pasta, designed to give little ones a unique dining experience.
The reception was very positive, both from families and the channel, which reinforces our commitment to connecting with consumers on an emotional level, without sacrificing quality. This edition is part of the growth of our children's range, which has been expanding since 2023 with characters such as Frozen, Cars, Nemo, and Spider-Man. Although we don't carry out special editions on a regular basis, we do value this type of action as a way to innovate, surprise, and continue building our brand, and we will continue to explore new proposals that combine creativity, quality, and differentiation. In addition to generating an emotional connection with consumers, these editions also give us the opportunity to test new formats or differentiating concepts in the market, which, if well-received, can later be permanently integrated into the portfolio.
Are you planning to launch any new products soon? What about new products?
Yes, we will continue to develop and launch new limited editions, although we don't currently plan to release any in the near future.
Regarding the launch of new products, we are constantly expanding our offering to meet changing consumer demands, without losing sight of the quality and flavor that characterize us. In this regard, we are very excited about our latest launch, Al Bronce, a new range of pasta made with bronze molds, which gives it a rougher texture and, therefore, better absorption of sauces. It also comes in an XL format, ideal for those seeking a more gourmet experience at home. The initial reception has been very positive.
What objectives do you set for this second semester?
For this second half of the year, our focus is on strengthening our core business: pasta, combining the momentum of our most successful classic formats with the development of new varieties that respond to the needs of an increasingly diverse consumer. This is the case with the recent launch of the Al Bronce range, a more premium offering geared toward culinary enjoyment, which is being very well received.
Furthermore, we continue to focus on strategic segments that continue to gain ground, such as gluten-free pasta, children's products (such as the Disney range), ready-made meals (in the case of Ta-Tung), and 100% natural broths, where we see a clear opportunity for growth.
And in the long term?
In the long term, our goal is to continue growing responsibly, combining the tradition that defines us with a constant commitment to innovation. We aspire to evolve from being a leading pasta brand to establishing ourselves as a benchmark food group, with an increasingly broad portfolio aligned with changing consumer demands. We aim to continue developing products and ranges that reflect our commitment to honest, healthy eating tailored to all needs: from celiacs to children and families seeking practical and balanced options. We will continue to strengthen our presence in strategic categories such as ready meals and gluten-free products, while expanding our international reach, exploring markets where our brands can continue to grow.
