On October 11, the International Day of Dulce de Leche is celebrated, a date established in 1998 by the Centro Argentino de Promoción del Dulce de Leche y Afines to honor one of the most representative products of the national cuisine.
To celebrate the date, San Ignacio – a Santa Fe company with more than 85 years of history and one of the main exporters of dulce de leche in Argentina – launched new packaging and announced its arrival in India.
“Dulce de leche is one of the Argentine products with the highest added value and it identifies us all over the world,” said Alejandro Reca, CEO and director of San Ignacio, which currently sends its products to more than 18 countries.
Exporting DNA
San Ignacio has a long tradition in exports.
The first shipment made by the firm was in 1979. Back then, the destination was Germany, a market that remains active to this day. “That milestone marked a before and after: we were one of the first companies to obtain certification to export to the European Union,” recalled Fernando Rodríguez Morón, Foreign Trade Manager of the firm.
In 2018, San Ignacio dulce de leche reached Japan for the first time, one of the most demanding markets for food products.
In 2023, the company landed in Vietnam with the first shipment of Argentine dulce de leche to enter the Asian country, after almost two years of development. And this year, it added a new milestone by becoming the first brand to export dulce de leche to India.
Currently, San Ignacio allocates more than 15% of its production to the external market, being one of the main exporters of dulce de leche in Argentina and the second exporter of blue cheese in the country.
Beyond those milestones, the company regularly exports to about 18 destinations, including New Zealand, Israel, Canada, the United States, Germany, Spain, Italy, France, Chile, Brazil, Uruguay and Bolivia. Within these markets, Chile stands out as the main buyer of Argentine dulce de leche.
From Santa Fe to the world
Alejandro Reca
San Ignacio is a producer of dulce de leche, cream cheese, blue cheese and milk.
The company has two plants in the province of Santa Fe. One, located in the town of Sauce Viejo, where they produce dulce de leche and cream cheese. The other, located in Hipatia, is entirely dedicated to the production of blue cheese.
From Santa Fe, the firm continues to bring the authentic Argentine flavor to local and world tables, reaffirming its commitment to innovation and the pride of being a national emblem.
“Our goal is to be ‘the’ dulce de leche brand in the world: so that when the world talks about dulce de leche, it is San Ignacio’s. Based on this, the fact that we are currently one of Argentina’s main exporters shows that we are going in the right direction in terms of developing new clients and markets,” added Reca.
In the local market, the company offers a complete portfolio and innovations like the new Squeeze packaging.
On the tables of Argentines, dulce de leche continues to play a leading role: in 2024, national production reached about 128,000 tons, with an annual per capita consumption of 2.2 kilos.
Squeeze, the packaging that San Ignacio launched this year.
New Proposals
Throughout its history, San Ignacio has established itself as a benchmark for the category in the country and abroad. In Argentina, its product line includes:
“Our challenge is to work on new formats that make enjoying dulce de leche in everyday life easier and more practical,” Reca highlighted.
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Alejandro Recaexportación dulce de lecheSan Ignacio
