The Israeli dairy that’s been producing for almost a century
To mark the festival of Shavuot, we visited Strauss’s dairy in the Western Galilee to see first-hand how Israeli industry keeps working uninterrupted and maintaining a continuous supply of dairy products, even in a time of war – and also, to find out about the new flavors that will be starring in the upcoming holiday.
In collaboration with ICE.
Shavuot is right around the corner, and represents an ideal opportunity to shine a spotlight on the “Blue & White” Israeli dairy, which has been manufacturing dairy products for close to a century. In the 1930s, in the Western Galilee, this is in fact where the story of Strauss Group began.
Two cows in the yard of Dr. Richard and Hilde Strauss, a new immigrant couple from Germany, sowed the first seeds on the way to the founding of one of the linchpins of the Israeli food industry.
The modest cowshed and the dairy subsequently built in Nahariya, have, since the start of the twenty-first century, been replaced by a modern, state-of-the-art dairy in Achihud in the Western Galilee. The Dairy is at the forefront of the Israeli dairy industry, and takes care to ensure food security for the residents of Israel despite the Swords of Iron War.
“When the war broke out, we had to ramp up production considerably, so that people would have food on the table,” says Avshalom (Avshi) Bachar, manager of the Dairy. “Despite the complexities and difficulties – employees whose family members were injured, employees who were evacuated from their homes, employees who were called up for reserve duty – the Dairy continued to operate fully.”
The close interaction between the Dairy and dairy farmers has a crucial role in keeping the dairy industry going and in maintaining continuous supply. “We work with 53 cowsheds, some of them near the northern border, which for the past months have been plagued by sirens as well as missile attacks,” says Einav Nevo Koch, head of manufacturer relations at the Dairy. “We have partnerships with our dairy farmers and are committed to them. We’re here to serve as a point of contact, to provide a response, to help put together solutions in real time, to a variety of situations coming in from the field.”
Besides strengthening cooperation with the dairy farmers and cowsheds, the war has also enhanced the warm relationship between the Dairy and the surrounding community. As soon as the fighting broke out, the Dairy and Strauss Group stepped up and partnered in a number of initiatives to help the residents of the north, the evacuees and security forces. “Strauss’s business began in the Galilee, and it has always remembered its roots and where it all began,” says Bachar. “The same holds true today, it’s important to us to keep giving back to the community – and we have been doing so since the start of the war.”
As the manufacturer of a broad variety of dairy products, which is identified with some of the best known and most loved products in Israel, the excitement among the people in the Achihud Dairy as the Dairy Festival draws near was obvious, as was the sense of mission that accompanies them.
“At the beginning of the war, I was called up for reserve duty under an emergency call-up order. After three months, I returned to the dairy,” says Yamit Fadida, a production operator in the cheese department. “I feel a great sense of satisfaction that I am able to contribute my share so that there’s no shortage of dairy products on the shelves.”
As always, Strauss never fails to surprise. With the approach of Shavuot, the company launched salted caramel and Blondie mousse flavored Milky Trio, Symphony 16% fat content and Danone Multi with oats. As the company that first introduced yoghurt to Israel, the Dairy Festival is also an excellent opportunity to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the event.
“Innovation and development are actually Strauss’s and our dairy’s DNA,” Noy Kedem, development technologist at the Achihud Dairy, emphasizes. “We are constantly adapting and developing our products for consumers, and we always on the lookout for ways to innovate and create excitement with fresh tastes, textures and new categories.”
“We are really proud of our contribution to the Israeli and local economy,” Bachar says. “It’s a great honor to be the pioneers and leaders of the industry.”
