Turkey’s leading cheesemaker, Muratbey, is introducing a brand new product to the market after two years of research and development (R&D).

The company has managed to increase its exports to the European market despite the coronavirus pandemic, thanks to its innovative efforts, Muratbey CEO Necmi Erol said Friday.

He added that the company has recently introduced the vitamin D-enriched Muratbey Plus series, in an effort to offer healthier and nutrition-packed options to customers.

The cheeses in this product line contain 5 micrograms (mcg), or 200 International Units (IU) of Vitamin D per 100 grams, according to the company’s website.

Erol said the Muratbey Plus series attracted huge interest in both the domestic and European markets during the pandemic.

He added that the company’s aim was to bring innovation to the cheesemaking industry but launching new products could take up to 10 years of R&D efforts.

"We have two R&D centers that employ 25 people, one focused on cheese development and the other on developing machinery to produce them," Erol said.

Erol said the company's exports to the European market increased by 40% during the pandemic. It is currently exporting to 15 different countries in the region.

"Nearly 25% of our revenues come from exports and our goal is to increase this to 40%."

"Our products are priced above market levels in Europe, due to additional transportation and exporting costs. This is pushing us to create more unique and high-quality products to gain leverage," said Erol.