In 1869 Alfio Sapienza Grasso set up a wine business near Catania railway station. In 1890 Giacomo Tamburino planted a blood orange orchard nearby. This is the old story, but the modern adventure began in 1978 when Ortogel was set up by a family group of citrus growers and operators in the farm food sector in the industrial zone of Caltagirone. In 1981 they began production of frozen vegetables and not long after converted the factories for production of natural juice of Sicilian blood oranges and other citrus fruits. The production chain was completed with cold technology and quick freezing. The products were launched in Italy and abroad with the Gelidea brand and it expanded from the Nineties until 2010 with a series of technological innovations. Today the company produces natural and organic NFC juices, concentrate juices, cold-extracted essential oils, cubes of orange and lemon zest in salt solution or frozen, flours, dried citrus zest and fibres.
