A commitment also given by the installation of photovoltaic panels to make the company independent from the power supply or to have chosen, in recent years, to ensure the increasingly strict safety standards required by the global market, both in terms of protection of workforce and of the product itself and of the consumer, to the construction of a new establishment completely in stainless steel.
COMPANY’S HISTORY
COAM was founded in 1964 in Morbegno by Luciano Gusmeroli. This region, already in the late '800, thanks to the studies of L. Pasteur, saw the beginning of a flourishing preserved foods industrial activity, dedicated to the processing of delicious porcini mushrooms, of which are always been rich the surrounding valleys. Thanks to the long local culinary tradition and to how easy is to reach national and international markets it allowed the canners to grow and assert the art of preserved foods in Morbegno. It is to these principles that Luciano Gusmeroli wanted to inspire in founding his company: the values of a local tradition of mastery and attention to craftsmanship in the processing not only of precious mushrooms but also of many delicious vegetables which is rich the Italian land. Genuine products over the years have consolidated the company's reputation and today they have been translated into a line of pickled and in olive oil vegetables named "Le Conserve di Morbegno".
COAM is not only synonymous with vegetable appetizers, and thanks to its brand Scandia today has become a leading specialist in the processing of the finest fish from the sea all over the world and transformed, always in the factory in Morbegno, in culinary specialties such as the famous and stately real Wild North Pacific King Salmon, true flagship of the entire COAM manufacturing.
HOW IT GOT TO VALTELLINA A WILD SALMON?
Thanks to a brilliant intuition of its founder, who in the early '70s saw right in salmon that novelty of absolute value that was able to tempt the Italian taste. From the exhaustive study of the raw materials and processing methods carried out right in salmon homelands, Canada and Alaska, COAM has been able to assert its quality in the smoking and in the processing of this extraordinary fish, enough to be today European leader.
This choice was largely rewarded so that Scandia brand soon was expanded to other fish specialties, like tuna, swordfish, trout and many others like lavarello of which is rich the nearby Como Lake .
Precious and unique raw materials that require large care and attention: as filleting and even today salting by hand, but in fact the only method able to ensure a thorough control of the quality of the meat, while the smoking and packaging cycle is assigned to machinery and equipment of last generation that ensure maximum hygiene and health security.
COMPANY AND PROCESSING FACTORY
Large glass windows that range over beautiful Alpine landscapes: this is the manufacturing and the smoking fish products plant designed and built by COAM also to meet the requests of a growing up and demanding customer; large and bright rooms where the walls, ceilings, windows, doors and the equipment are exclusively made of stainless steel.
Another peculiarity that immediately strikes the visitor is the total absence of electric motors, compressors, refrigerators, or pumps, in view; everything has been deliberately confined to specific technical areas, external to the building, to isolate dangerous sources of pollution and noise and to avoid the risk of contamination of the food products.
The processing rooms are all equipped with a sophisticated air conditioning system that maintains a constant temperature of 12 ° C, which is essential to prevent bacterial growth. Using the same technology as in operating rooms, the conditioning takes place with a continuous flow of clean air that, in addition to ensuring levels of absolute hygiene in the environments, prevents, thanks to a slight pressurization, the accidental entry of outside air from the doors. A sophisticated central washing system comes into action at each end of the shift and reaches all the surfaces with jets of water at 80 ° C at a pressure of 200 atmospheres, disinfecting all the rooms.
Also during the smoking phase of salmon, which takes place in special cells, the new fully automated systems use an advanced technology. The smoke generators allow the production of a natural wood smoke at a constantly controlled combustion temperature, well below the 200 ° C threshold, temperature beyond which potentially toxic compounds can be developed in our body.
The new COAM plant perfectly reflects the productive philosophy that has always characterized the choices of its founder, Luciano Gusmeroli. Tradition and innovation are the company's watchwords: innovation in preservation technology, to always ensure perfect hygienic products, but without giving up very old traditional methods, often costly and time consuming, as the filleting and even today salting by hand, but that ensure the best results from an organoleptic point of view and that make each COAM product a gastronomic delicacy.
Today the beautiful family history, made of talent and commitment, continues thanks to Luciano Gusmeroli and his sons, who they firmly believe that only in the absolute respect of the traditions and using the best raw materials, selected with criteria sustainability and wisely worked in healthy and genuine way, there can be continuity and future in the world of modern power.