After signing an investment agreement with Civita Food Ltd, PBG FMC transferred it’s first tranche to them in early September 2014. Civita Food was established by Gabor Vaszko – a young, successful businessman – to market high-end gluten-free food products made in Hungary and other countries in Central Europe. Civita’s product family addresses a growing demand as an increasing proportion of the population in developed countries is being diagnosed with gluten intolerance. People with celiac disease are just the tip of the iceberg. In fact, up to 30-40 percent of the population may have an immune reaction to gluten, the intake of which can significantly strains the body. Civita currently has distribution in major Hungarian grocery chains (Tesco, CBA), and is targeting all of Europe. The company has built a distribution network from the UK to Estonia, thus ensuring a continuous flow of product. The gluten-free food market is Europe’s largest “blue ocean” type segment.
