IN A NUTSHELL

MAYA was founded as MAYA SPICE OF LIFE JERUSALEM LTD. in 1982.  Three young friends, newly-released from the IDF, Moishe, Israel and Udi, established a small factory in Jerusalem’s Givat Shaul neighborhood.  They had just one food packing machine for powdered spices.  They decided to call the company MAYA, an acronym for their three Hebrew names.

The company started out manufacturing and selling baking powder and spices, under the strict Kashrut of BADATZ, the Eda Haredit Jerusalem, which was rare at that time.  Over the years, MAYA has gained an important reputation in the ultra-Orthodox community for its adherence to their strict standards.  Eventually, two more childhood friends, (Shmuel and Ami) also joined the company as partners.  The company expanded and their range of products continues to grow.  As a result of the expansion, new machines and trained, professional employees were added, enhancing their  production and marketing capabilities.  This brought about a need for more space.

In 1998,  MAYA moved to the industrial zone of Mishor Adumim, today housing production plants, distribution warehouses and the management staff.  In 2010, the company changed its official name to ‘MAYA FOOD INDUSTRIES LTD.’ , thereby reflecting the wide variety of its products.  Today the company produces, packs and markets a wide range of over 300 products in many categories, including beans, rice and grains, baking ingredients, spices, nuts, dried fruits, savory snacks, candies, sweets and more.

The company invests heavily in purchasing the most advanced equipment, as well as research and development of superior new products. They recently changed their branding process and packaging,  with a new logo, to reflect the latest design and marketing techniques.  This has led the company to advance in new directions with truly innovative products , attractively presented.

MAYA is an inspiring example of a small, privately owned company that managed to move forward in small steps , to become an established, widely-recognised and promising company, while retaining its humble Israeli character.

 

QUALITY AND HEALTH

At the top of its priority, MAYA puts the health of its consumers.  It invests heavily in the quality of all its products.  Quality control is a major focus of the company to international  standards: ISO 9001:2008, HACCP and GMP licence.  It adheres to extremely high standards especially because of their manufacture of pharmaceutical products, which require high quality conditions, and they apply these standards to all their production and packaging lines.

The health issue is part of the company identity  and is reflected in many areas:

• Development – The Company’s R & D focuses on the health aspect.  The desire to give consumers products that are both tasty and healthy led to the establishment of an R & D team whose role is to develop new healthy products and to improve existing lines by changing the raw materials and production process.  In addition, the entry to the area of functional food and nutritional supplements enables the Company to provide high quality products with added health and nutritional benefits.
• Natural materials – MAYA continues to move in the direction  of natural ingredients in its raw materials.  It manufactures its products with natural  colors, flavors etc.
• Gluten-free – The Company is conscious of many people’s sensitivity to products containing  gluten.  Therefore they have undertaken the task of providing as many products  as possible to celiac patients.  In an unusual operational and logistical process, MAYA now produces mostly gluten-free products,  unlike competitors which vaguely state “may contain gluten”.

MADE IN ISRAEL

MAYA’s roots are firmly planted in the land of Israel. Most of its products are made in Israel at one big site.  It is the only company in Israel that produces soft jelly and hard-boiled candies with high quality vitamin supplements, produced to optimum quality that allows most of the production to be exported.

 INNOVATION

One of the Company’s main principles is innovation.  It invests heavily in machinery and technological equipment as well as research and development, to bring the consumers innovative  and unique products that are both healthy and functional.

MAYA is one of the few Israeli companies that produces candies and sweets with nutritional supplements and additives to global consumers.  They play an important role at a time when the frenetic pace of modern living does not always allow us to eat in a balanced, healthy way. The Company also produces private brands of nutritional supplements marketed by major recognized companies.

PRIVATE LABELS

MAYA enjoys co-operation with many companies and marketing agencies. This leads to developing and producing products with private labels in a variety of categories.  It manufactures private labels for retail companies around the world, marketing agencies and private businesses. This product range is wide – from packing commodities like beans, rice etc. to the development, manufacture  and packaging of candies and sweets with nutritional supplements and functional additives.

This sharing benefits  both sides , bringing with it prosperity, mutual growth and profitability.