A partner meeting involved in the Qualify project was held in Estonia between 26 and 28 April 2022
DAY 1 – April 26th, 2022
The first meeting took place in the afternoon. We received colleagues from the foreign delegations at the Estonia Briefing Center, in Ülemiste City. Participants were provided with practical information on the digitization process that has been implemented in Estonia since the restored independence, and the benefits of investments and projects in the country were shown.
DAY 2 – April 27th, 2022
On the second day we left Tallinn to head to the region of county of Lääane-Viru in order to visit the Moe Distillery. We were greeted by a CO Liisa Luhaste, who explained the history of the distillery and the origin of the “Estonian vodka”, which has been given the PGI (Protected Geographical Indicatione) label by the European Union, which means that all the elements that make up the vodka produced at Moe Distillery come exclusively from Estonian territory.
The second company to visit was Freezedry OÜ, situated in Simuna village and commonly known as the “Meki” brand, that is the only one in Estonia that prepares the product using the process of sublimation – a process that expels the water from a frozen product in a vacuum environment, in this way the product passes from a solid to a gaseous state, avoiding the liquid one. Moreover, the company aims to combine flavors that have been tested for centuries in the Nordic countries, with innovative raw materials and production techniques, possibly Estonian.
After that, in conclusion of the first day of visits, we headed to Würtzpagar, a bakery located in the town of Rakvere. The specialty of Würtzpagar’s bread is in its preparation, which is without the use of yeast, therefore it is only made from flour and water, both of Estonian origin.
DAY 3 – April 28th, 2022
The third day with a sensory training activity led by Kristel Vene, PhD and flavor scientist at TalTech.
Kristel accompanied us on a perceptive journey, to activate our sense of taste. She taught us to recognize which parts of the body are involved when we taste or smell food, how to recognize which food is of quality, and how the perception of the same can vary from individual to individual and if exposed to different environments and stimuli. This training is important for those who work in the agri-food sector.
Finally, our leading partner (Catalonia), reviewed the status of the project activities, and highlighted the final steps that must be fulfilled regarding all partners action plans.
Our last company visit was to Purtse Brewery, which takes the name after the village in which it was founded. At the brewery we were given 4 glasses filled with 4 different kinds of beers, whose components are only Estonian-originated. While we were tasting the beers, we were invited to follow all the technical steps of production in the brewery.
