How do superfoods travel from all over the world to Slovakia?

Superfoods by plane, boat, train and road

The company Goodie from Písek in South Bohemia, which is dedicated to the processing of natural raw materials into its own products, has been assisted with logistics from suppliers around the world for years by Geis. Their products are delivered by road, sea, rail and air. And that it works, confirms Adam Cerny, Technical & Logistics Manager at Goodie: "Goodie and Geis are a perfect example of a business relationship that simply works."

Strict regulations

The transport of specific goods is often not without strict veterinary or phytosanitary supervision, temperature control and other not-so-common rules. This means that transport involves many permits, endless paperwork, documentation and customs regulations. The difficulty is compounded by the fact that the countries involved are remote and logistically less accessible. But Geis and Goodie can often do the impossible, and so the Slovakian consumer has an increasingly wide range of exotic and truly unique foods.
 

Beef or seal?

The transport of freeze-dried beef liver has been particularly difficult, mainly because it is a raw material of animal origin. Several import permits have to be obtained from a number of institutions in New Zealand, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, where the company's goods also flow. During the clearance process, there was even a question as to whether the shipment contained animal products from seals.

Speed matters

Some foods are very susceptible to temperature deterioration. When you want to ship shea butter from Uganda to a port in another African country, it is also too risky, especially because of theft. Also, vanilla pods and seeds directly from plantations in Madagascar must not be allowed to stay on the road for long. Geis therefore transported the butter and the fragrant vanilla for Goodie by air so that the goods would arrive in first-class quality.

By train from China to Europe

Some shipments are also transported the long way across the whole of mainland China, the Trans-Siberian Railway and on to Europe. From Morocco, expensive argan and prickly pear oil travels in large quantities - first by ship from Casablanca to Hamburg, then by road to Písek and on to Slovak retailers and their customers. Martin Tokič, Director of Geis Air+Sea adds to the cooperation: "We handle dozens of shipments and related customs services with Goodie. Many times it is a first for us, because such goods are not normally transported, although we are used to everything. We are glad that Goodie has found in us a partner they can rely on."