More than a century of life and work devoted to tomatoes

Four generations of manufacturers have been running a company with a fascinating history. This company undertaking starts in Remigio's works in San Pancrazio, is then carried on by Mansueto, determined in grounding an industry in Ozzano.

The company goes through the terrible years of the first and second world war, expanding then again, after the reconstruction and until today, thanks to genuine self-confident entrepeneurs.

Third generation industrialists Lucio and Giuseppe transformed the brand Alpino and particularly Ortolina in one of the flaships of Parma's food industry.

The brand “Alpino”

Mansueto, very keen on history and ex member of the Italian alpine troops, decided to label tomato-made products manufactured in Ozzano with the brand Alpino. The old picture portrayed, in the middle, a soldier on the top of a mountain, with a stick and a rifle on his shoulder.

Bunches of tomaotoes used to be the frame of the picture, together with all the medals the company was awarded with, thanks to its industrial activity.

As time went by, the brand “Alpino” got updated: the rifle was taken over by a bundle of ropes; also coins and medals, evidence of a glorious past, were removed.

The original ready-sauce: “Ortolina: l'orto in cucina” (“Ortolina: the taste of freshly-plucked vegetables, from the garden to your kitchen!”)

In 1936 an old homemade recipe gives birth to the idea of Ortolina. Virginia, Mansueto's wife,  informally called Ida, was given a recipe by a friend of hers, for cooking a sauce with tomatoes and vegetables. Ida used to serve it at dinners on sunday and festive occasions,  to flavour boiled meat.

Mansueto came up with the idea of manufacturing this tasty sauce. Ortolina was the first ready sauce on the market. In the slogan “l'orto in cucina” was conveyed at the same time the idea of a home made and genuine product.

The brand new package was immediatly successful and popular: it was a tube in a seductive colourful case. Since then almost nothing has changed. Old people still refer to “Ortolina” as one of the oldest  and most successful products on the market.