Eridania, an iconic brand of 'sweetness' in Italy, celebrates its first 125 years with a special postage stamp that tells and interprets the 'sweet history' that unites the company with entire generations of Italians, its ability to look to the future and its vocation to respond with innovation to the needs of consumers in every age. From a simple sugar distributor to a pioneer in sweetening, its path has been marked by a drive for innovation while maintaining strong ties to its roots. To crown this journey, the stamp was issued by the Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy: it belongs to the thematic series “the excellences of the productive and economic system,” created to promote professional and entrepreneurial skills and reserved for companies that have made a difference for our country. The stamp relates to the value of tariff B, currently equal to 1.25 Euros, and the print run is 250,020 copies.

The Eridania Postage Stamp, whose sketch is by Claudia Giusto, depicts a harmonious family context in which mother and daughter are baking a cake together using Eridania sugar, represented by the characteristic and iconic red package in which stands out, in white, a griffin holding the letter “E,” one of the company's most emblematic historical symbols and reproposed along 2024 in a special limited edition of Classico. The composition is bordered, at the bottom, by the inscription “Eridania,” which stood out in the sugar packages of the 1960s; at the top, by the claim “125 years of sweetness,” taken from the 125th anniversary logo.

The philatelic cancellation was presented to Alessio Bruschetta, managing director of Eridania Italia, during a ceremony held in the Salone degli Arazzi of Palazzo Piacentini in Rome, home of Mimit, in the presence of minister Adolfo Urso, and Undersecretary of State with responsibility for Philately Fausta Bergamotto. “The stamp being issued today celebrates the long history and successes of an icon such as the Eridania brand, which for 125 years has been a reference point for sweetness in Italy -Bruschetta emphasized-. An important milestone, the result of the constant commitment of those who have contributed to the company's success and the satisfaction of our consumers: this stamp pays tribute above all to their work”. 

“Our task now -Bruschetta goes on to say- is to continue to carry on this history of excellence, continuing to evolve and aiming for innovation, but staying true to tradition. The challenge is certainly to look at new consumers, intercept their needs and give them quality products that are in line with new market trends. All this while continuing to invest in sustainability, the compass that, now since 2013, has guided Eridania's development and growth”.

History of Eridania

It all began in Genoa in 1899, when 12 partners joined forces to form the 'Società Anonima Eridania Fabbrica di Zucchero' with the aim of producing and marketing sugar throughout the peninsula and sweetening the lives of Italians. After 125 years, Eridania is the industry leader in Italy, with a 30 percent value share in the total sweetening market and 34 percent volume share considering the sugar segment alone. Total brand awareness is 91 percent: the brand is top of mind in all segments, from white sugar to cane sugar to premium specialties through a broad and constantly evolving portfolio with the brands Classico, Zefiro, Tropical, Bio and Selections from the World, and the sweeteners Truvia and Zero. 

Starting with white caster sugar, in fact, Eridania has been able to respond to the needs of the market and consumers, who are increasingly attentive to health and wellness, anticipating consumption trends and being the first to diversify its assortment, enriching it over time with specialty cane sugars, extra-fine sugars, organic and whole grain products, syrups, up to innovations such as “rich-in” sugars and zero-calorie intensive sweeteners: a broad and diversified offering, characterized by the premiumness of the products and the breadth and depth of a range that covers all segments. So much so that the definition of “sugar market” has become obsolete in favor of a broader concept of “sweetening”.

The company's numbers

The company now has its headquarters in Bologna, while Russi, in the Ravenna area, is home to the sugar packaging plant. On the strength of a 2023 turnover of 354 million Euros, including the marketing of products from the Brindisi SRB refinery, 200 employees between the Bologna, Russi and Apulian sites, a dynamic marketing, commercial and supply chain structure, Eridania can boast the largest retail Sugar Packaging Center in Europe, with 9 production lines, working 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week packaging 130 million kilograms in the 12 months. Logistics develops numbers that are no less important: 5,000 containers received annually, 5,000 trucks loaded, as well as 30 trains heading south to serve 900 customers every day throughout Italy.