Richard de Vries works as commercial manager Jellice Pioneer BV. Jellice produces gelatin and collagen for use in food, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. At the time Richard joined the company, Jellice became a member of IFFI. We talked to him to ask about his role in the industry and the role of IFFI therein.

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

“I entered the food ingredients industry at the age of twenty-five, and (with one short break) never left it. It started at FrieslandCampina, where I occupied various roles throughout the years. In total I worked for them for twelve years. Then, I became commercial manager of proteins at a company called Ten Kate Vetten. In 2019, after a short break from the food ingredients sector, I returned and joined Jellice’s Commerce, Sales and Business department.”

What does your company do?

“Jellice produces gelatin and collagen for use in food, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. We have one factory in Europe, located in Emmen. The gelatin produced in Emmen is entirely produced from fresh pork skins. We equally manage factories in China, Japan and Taiwan and India. In Europe, Jellice’s focus lies in the nutritional and functional use of gelatin, whereas in Asia, we see more focus on beauty and health. As we are a growing organization, the latter segment does get more and more attention in Europe as well. Despite the fact that we have companies in continents all over the world, the European sales responsibility lies for the biggest part at our European office.”

What makes Jellice Pioneer Europe BV stand out within the food industry?

I’d say we stand out with our company with our service-minded attitude, the high quality of our products and our short lead times. In the realm of what’s possible, we are quite flexible with the latter. For instance, we are open to offer a smaller batch to a client if needed. Furthermore, the gelatin we produce is more clear than the average. In the field of gelatin, we rank 6th or 7th as world gelatin and collagen producers.

Can you say something about IFFI and its value for you?

Definitely. IFFI is a very valuable network. It’s a valuable cross section of the ingredients industry. Not only is it a fun group to be a part of, it’s also a group from which multiple members of the same company can benefit. You get the opportunity to meet a wide range of people with whom you can discuss anything, including strategies. These are all people you can call and approach for questions or advice, if needed. There is a feeling of unconditional mutual support.