A NACIONAL

A Portuguese brand with important historical heritage, Nacional has kept up with the changes in lifestyle and habits of the most demanding customers. Recognised by all, if it’s Nacional, you’ve always known it’s good. The brand has been sharing stories and tasty moments with the Portuguese for over 170 years, providing them with the best products and selecting the best ingredients, based on its long experience and centuries of know-how. Present in Portuguese families from morning to night, through a huge variety of innovative products, divided into four delicious categories – pasta, flour, breakfast cereals and biscuits, Nacional is an authentic, trusted brand that has been able to keep up with current lifestyles and those of the younger generations. And it’s thanks to its very strong values that Nacional has been part of the lives of consumers since their childhood. It is present in a number of markets, selling its products in over 37 countries and aiming to cater to all tastes. All good reasons to continue to be recognised for its slogan – “If it’s Nacional, you know it’s good”.

 

Excellent quality products with great flavours

Nacional is committed to developing the best products through a process of innovation and development framed in a continuous quality system that adopts supplier certification procedures, control and selection of raw materials and compliance with the guarantee requirements for food hygiene and safety, assuring the best quality in its final products.

The production and distribution processes are certified by the ISO 22000 and IFS (International Food Standard) food safety standards, granted by ISACert.

Teams that are trained and motivated, the most recent technology, strict quality control systems and demanding food safety and hygiene processes are the bases that make it possible for Nacional to bring its consumers the best pasta, the best flour, the best breakfast cereals and the best biscuits. Excellent quality products that taste great.

HISTORY

  • 1849

    The history of Nacional began when, following a proposal from the Duke of Saldanha to Queen Maria II, bearing in mind the important services provided to the nation, João de Brito was granted authorisation to use the Nacional brand on his products.

  • 1879

    The heirs of João de Brito set up a company called Companhia Nacional de Moagem. Grain began being used for different purposes, particularly for pasta, biscuits and animal feed.

  • 1919

    After some very troubled political times, the name was changed to Companhia Industrial de Portugal e Colónias (C.I.P.C) as a result of the merger between Nova Companhia Nacional de Moagem and Companhia Nacional de Alimentação.

  • 1920s

    The installation of modern new equipment, the construction of new factories and strategic connections with other similar companies were decisive for expanding its business activities and other industrial areas, such as leavening agents, ice, malt and industrial breadmaking.

    Because the products had to be sold, the need arose to advertise them to consumers. Several initiatives were developed to advertise these products:

    Using decorated sales vehicles;
    Opening of shops using the same image, where bread was made and sold (early days of franchising);
    Producing posters and leaflets with contributions for several Portuguese artists (for example, Emmerico Nunes, Jorge Barradas, Amarelle and Stuart Carvalhais).

  • 1930s

    Nacional started selling rice and continued to make innovations in terms of packaging and brand communication. At the time, it owned:

      • 5 milling factories
      • 3 pasta factories
      • 1 biscuit factory
      • 1 factory producing malt for beer
      • 1 bread factory
      • 2 factories for husking and bleaching rice
      • 1 factory for leavening agents.

NACIONAL IN THE WORLD