'LeHA' stands for the German word of Lebensmittel (food) and the name of 'Hartung'. LeHA food products 'Schlagfix' and 'Sprühfix', pudding, coffee whitener, almond milk, tomato ketchup are all produced on a purely vegetable basis without lactose or cholesterol, are also gluten- and soya-free, contain no colourants, and are low-calorie. Under the umbrella name of 'Schlagfix', the LeHa food products are available in shops throughout Germany, including the retailers EDEKA, Kaufland, Real, Netto, coop, ... The way from Laucha on the Unstrut river to the supermarket shelves has been long and not without its challenges, however. LeHa Director Kirsten Hartung rises to these challenges in accordance with her profession as a sports scientist: with considerable personal effort, ambition and perseverance.Kirsten Hartung has just got back from the Anuga. Attending this food exhibition in Cologne is something of a tradition. She likes seeing what the others are doing. The 41-year-old mostly networks with customers in other ways. Had she not taken this path, with all of its ups and downs, LeHA Schlagfix would not exist. And this would be a loss for all of those who have to eat lactose-, cholesterol- or gluten-free food because of health reasons. "I had no idea that there were so many vegetarians and vegans in Germany," explains Kirsten Hartung, who gets huge amounts of mail from people with such a nutritional philosophy. LeHA products are manufactured on a plant basis only. Customers in Israel, where faith dictates nutritional habits, are now showing interest. Kirsten Hartung shows me a Sprühfix can with Hebrew lettering. The product is 'kosher-parve' certified. That means it can be used with milk and animal products.In the Director's office, a colourful range of LeHa product packaging, from yesterday, today and the future, is on display; 'faces' from the supermarket shelves which are instantly recognisable. And yet how does a 'child' from Saxony-Anhalt's wine growing region get the idea of making plant-based whipped cream? As is so often the case in life, through the interplay of coincidences. Kirsten Hartung lists them: "cases of incompatibility with lactose in the family and, in 2002, an acquaintance made in Bulgaria with a producer that makes lactose-free products for bakeries". As ten years ago nothing comparable was available on the German market, Kirsten Hartung viewed this as being a challenge. She actually studied for a degree in sports sciences, majoring in equestrian sport. This isn't the only reason why healthy foods are a topic for her, however. In the days of the GDR, the place where Kirsten Hartung now has her office was a food cooperative where her grandfather worked for 20 years as a book keeper. Kirsten was raised on 'Früchte C', the childrens' food in the brown bottles that was popular in the GDR.And another happy coincidence: Prof. Thomas Kleinschmidt, who leads the working group for 'food processing technology and milk technology' at Anhalt University also comes from Laucha. It's a small world...The result of her enthusiasm for sports and scientific discovery was and remains unique to this day: A plant-based, whiskable mix of water and just 15 percent vegetable fat from the oil palm. The product was ready for the market in 2003. To make its name, family members set up stands at markets, taking coffee, biscuits and a mixer along, offering customers the chance to try out the whipped product themselves. "We weren't able to develop any business through our discussions with chain representatives," recalls Kirsten Hartung. "You have to meet someone who is interested in the product, who likes it, who likes eating it," she explains, with a representative of EDEKA having been one such person, who then opened key doors for her. The listing resulted in the next problem, however. It proved impossible to find a manufacturer who could set up their machines to mix these particular ingredients together. This is why the whipped foam is produced and filled in Italy."We have experienced similar problems with producing our new spread," explains the LeHA Managing Director. Together with Anhalt University she developed a spread on a plant basis similar to cream cheese. And the question of where this new product will be produced, which comes in tomato, paprika and herb flavour, remains unanswered.Kirsten Hartung is now using her sporty flair to find an innovative producer in Germany who will accept her new ideas as a challenge.

Contact:
LeHA Lebensmittel Hartung GmbH
Director: Kirsten Hartung
Ladestraße 4
06636 Laucha
ph: +49 (0)34462 / 60594
E-Mail: info@leha-web.de
Web: www.schlagfix.de