Brazilian lecithin manufacturer opens Dutch office Brazilian soy crusher ABC has opened a sales office in The Netherlands with the aim of becoming the first Brazilian lecithin manufacturer to supply the European market with non-GM soy lecithin directly and building awareness of its brand amongst European food manufacturers. The family-owned company was founded in 1917, but until now has supplied the European market through its large customers, including major suppliers in the market. It has been a non-GM soy lecithin supplier since the 1980s, and now claims a 39 percent share in the European non-GM soy lecithin market, with production of around 20,000 metric tonnes in 2007. The decision to supply the European market directly was taken as a result of increasing contact between South American suppliers and European buyers and on-going resistance to GMOs in Europe. Moreover, the company says there is more interest from food companies in vegetable proteins including soy as a result of animal food scares. The benefits of direct supply include a significant reduction in lead times. While a container ship takes around four weeks to reach Europe from Brazil, when supplying direct from its dedicated non-GM storage facility in Rotterdam, an order can be fulfilled in as little as three days. The Brazilian non-GM soy market is subject to supply fluctuations - which also has an impact on price. One of the main causes of fluctuations is contamination with GMOs. ABC says it has less of a problem with contamination than some of its competitors since it pays a premium to farmers so that non-GM crops are kept far removed from GM. The company has full non-GM certification, and says it was the first Brazilian soy supplier to gain ProTerra certification for sustainable practices. Stand H***; Hall.