Question 1

What is your minimum order quantity?

Accepted Answer

Minimum quantities depend on the product, the season and whether we produce to stock or to order, so we do not publish a single figure. Tell us the products, formats and destination in your enquiry and we will quote the minimum for that order. The agreed quantity is fixed in the contract.

Question 2

Which pack formats do you offer?

Accepted Answer

Glass jars from 480 g to 3 kg across the range, and a 5 kg plastic pail with a handle for the pasteurised tomato paste. The exact net weight of every product is shown on its product page; everything from 3 kg upwards is grouped in the Food Service & Bulk collection.

Question 3

How many jars per carton and per pallet?

Accepted Answer

Carton counts, pallet layouts and gross weights differ by jar size, so we provide them per product on request rather than as a single table. If your warehouse requires a specific pallet type or height limit, mention it in the enquiry and we will configure the shipment accordingly.

Question 4

Which documents can you provide with an order?

Accepted Answer

Product specifications, ingredient and allergen statements, our ISO 22000 and ISO 9001 certificates, and a batch quality document stating the production date, shelf life and release parameters. Commercial documents, invoice, packing list, CMR, and origin documents such as a EUR.1 certificate or origin declaration are prepared for export clearance. Laboratory test reports for specific parameters are available on request and agreed per contract.

Question 5

Which certifications does MADESA hold?

Accepted Answer

Our food safety management system is certified to ISO 22000 (certificate FSMS.8O140.35-2024) and our quality management system to ISO 9001 (certificate QMS.8O140.36-2024). Both are valid from 24 September 2024 to 23 September 2027 and were issued by Ukrsertyfikatsiia, accredited by the National Accreditation Agency of Ukraine (NAAU 8O140, IAF MLA signatory). We do not currently hold BRCGS, IFS, Halal or organic certification; both certificates can be viewed on the Quality page.

Question 6

Is HACCP implemented at your sites?

Accepted Answer

Yes. HACCP-based procedures are a legal requirement for food operators in Ukraine, and the Codex HACCP principles are built into the ISO 22000 standard to which our food safety management system is certified. A summary of the HACCP plan for a specific product can be shared under a confidentiality agreement on request.

Question 7

Do you produce under a customer's own brand?

Accepted Answer

Yes, within the recipes and pack formats we already run. The scope, minimum quantities, label artwork requirements and timeline are agreed per project. We supply the ingredient and nutrition data for your label, and the final artwork is approved by both sides before printing. The Private Label page describes the process.

Question 8

Can I receive samples before ordering?

Accepted Answer

Samples are available on request for trade customers. Name the products you want to evaluate and the delivery address in your enquiry; sample quantities, shipping arrangements and any costs are confirmed before dispatch.

Question 9

In which languages do you communicate and document?

Accepted Answer

Ukrainian and English. Product specifications, ingredient lists and allergen statements are provided in both. Label artwork in the language of a specific market is agreed per order, either printed by us or applied by the importer as an over-sticker.

Question 10

What are your lead times?

Accepted Answer

Lead times are quoted per enquiry, because they depend on the product, the quantity and whether the item is in stock. Seasonal vegetables, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, courgettes, are processed during the harvest, so large orders of those products are best planned before the season.

Question 11

What shelf life do your products have?

Accepted Answer

Two or three years from the date of manufacture, depending on the product; the figure is stated on each product page. Storage conditions are 0 °C to +25 °C at a relative humidity of no more than 75 %. The minimum remaining shelf life at delivery is agreed in the contract.

Question 12

Do your products contain preservatives?

Accepted Answer

This is declared product by product. 24 of our 27 products are made without added preservatives: they are sterilised in the sealed jar. The exceptions are the pasteurised 5 kg tomato paste (ascorbic acid) and the pitted black and green olives (potassium sorbate), and their product pages say so.

Question 13

Where does your raw material come from?

Accepted Answer

Our tomato paste (500 g sterilised and 5 kg pasteurised) is made in Chyhyryn from Turkish tomato raw material, as stated on the label. The pitted black and green olives are made in Türkiye and packed in Chyhyryn. The vegetables in our pickles, ready dishes, ikra, beans and sauces are processed at our Ukrainian site; origin details for a specific ingredient and season are available on request.

Question 14

Which Incoterms and payment terms do you work with?

Accepted Answer

Delivery terms and payment conditions are agreed per contract. State your preferred Incoterms and payment arrangement in the enquiry, and we will confirm what we can offer for your destination and order size.

Question 15

Which countries do you export to?

Accepted Answer

We quote for export enquiries on request and discuss each destination individually, including the documents and labelling it requires. Our products are of non-animal origin, which keeps border formalities simpler than for meat or dairy; your customs broker confirms the current requirements for your country.

Question 16

Where are your products made?

Accepted Answer

At our production sites in Chyhyryn and Chornobai, Cherkasy Oblast, central Ukraine. Both sites are covered by our ISO 22000 and ISO 9001 certificates. The vegetable and fruit preserves in the catalogue are produced in Chyhyryn, and each product page states the site.

Question 17

How should I store a jar after opening?

Accepted Answer

Once opened, treat the product as fresh food: keep it in the refrigerator, covered, and use it within a few days. Keep vegetables under their brine or oil, and always use a clean spoon, the most common cause of spoilage is a utensil that has been used for something else.

Question 18

What is the difference between sterilised and pasteurised?

Accepted Answer

Sterilisation heats the sealed jar to above 100 °C, which allows the product to keep at room temperature for years without preservatives. Pasteurisation uses lower temperatures, suited to plastic containers and gentler on some products, and gives a shorter shelf life. Our glass-jar products are sterilised; the 5 kg tomato paste in a pail is pasteurised.

Question 19

Why does the lid pop when I open the jar?

Accepted Answer

The pop is the vacuum releasing. During sterilisation the air inside the jar is driven out and the cooling product pulls the lid down, so the safety button in the centre stays concave until the jar is opened. If the button is already raised before opening or the lid does not pop, the seal has been broken, do not use the product.

Question 20

Do your products contain allergens?

Accepted Answer

Two products contain wheat flour and therefore gluten: courgette ikra and sweet pepper ikra. The Zakusochnyi vegetable salad lists green almonds, a tree nut, and is declared accordingly while we confirm the ingredient. Products with "spices or spice extracts" are checked for celery and mustard on request. Always read the ingredient list on the jar; we make no gluten-free claim on any product.

Question 21

Where can I buy MADESA and MIRASA products?

Accepted Answer

Ask your local retailer or the shop that stocks Ukrainian and Eastern European products. If you cannot find a product, contact us by phone or WhatsApp on +380 50 749 51 75 and we will point you to the nearest stockist we know of.

Question 22

Do you have recipes using your products?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The Recipes section has a dish for every product in the catalogue, from borscht with tomato paste and Olivier salad with pickled gherkins to eggs baked in lecho and syrnyky with plum jam. Each recipe states the jar size used, so the quantities match what you have in the cupboard.

Question 23

How can a jar keep for years without preservatives?

Accepted Answer

Heat does the preserving. The filled jar is sealed and sterilised, which destroys the microorganisms that cause spoilage, and the vacuum seal keeps new ones out. As long as the seal is intact and the jar is stored at 0 °C to +25 °C away from sunlight, the product keeps until its best-before date. Of our 27 products, 24 are made this way without added preservatives.

Question 24

What does the date on the jar mean?

Accepted Answer

It is the date of minimum durability, the date until which the unopened product keeps its full quality when stored as instructed. Our products carry two or three years from the production date. Whatever the date, do not use a jar whose lid is raised, which leaks or whose contents smell wrong.

Question 25

Can I freeze the product?

Accepted Answer

Never freeze an unopened glass jar, the contents expand and can crack the glass or break the seal. After opening, sauces, lecho, ikra and beans can be portioned into a freezer container and frozen like any home-cooked dish; pickled vegetables lose their crunch when frozen and are best kept refrigerated and used within a few days.

Question 26

What do "premium grade" and "first grade" on the label mean?

Accepted Answer

They are quality-sorting categories defined in the Ukrainian product standard (DSTU) for that food, based on criteria such as size uniformity, colour and appearance. They are not safety categories: a first-grade gherkin is as safe as a premium-grade one, it may simply be less uniform. Our DSTU and TU guide in the Journal explains the label line in detail.