Manufacturer of organic foods and vegan snacks from its own manufactory, as well as Ayurveda and non-food products
Govinda Natur GmbH
Heidelberg · Neustadt an der WeinstraßeNew on Amplifa
About Govinda Natur
Govinda Natur GmbH is an organic food manufacturer headquartered in Heidelberg, with its production, warehouse and logistics site in Neustadt an der Weinstraße. The company evolved from a vegetarian organic specialty store with an Ayurvedic mail-order business opened by Doris Maiwald in Heidelberg in 1988 into a company with around 30 employees and more than 200 products. In the company's own Govinda manufactory, fruit balls, fruit confection, pralines and laddu are handcrafted; the range also includes gluten-free flour and pasta alternatives, breakfast ingredients, spices, edible oils, dietary supplements as well as Ayurveda products and non-food items such as tongue cleaners made of copper and stainless steel. Processing and filling take place in the company's own facility; distribution is via wholesale, the online shop and the factory store Bioladen by Govinda. The company became known, among other things, as the introducer of the soap nut in Germany; several products were awarded 'Bestes Bio' by the trade magazine Schrot & Korn.
- Site
- Heidelberg
- Processes
- Food manufacturing in own manufactory (fruit balls, confection, pralines, laddu –, Filling and packaging, Factory store (Bioladen by Govinda), Mail order/online shop, Wholesale distribution, Outlet (reduction of goods with short best-before dates), Own manufactory production (fruit balls, confection, laddu), Value packs
- Materials
- Copper, Stainless steel, Organic ingredients (dates, nuts, coconut, sesame and others)
- Certificates
- Organic control body (organic certification), DE-ÖKO-001 (organic control body number)
- Founded
- 1988
- Employees
- ca. 30
- Industries
- Organic food, Natural foods wholesale, Ayurveda/dietary supplements, Non-food (natural detergents, body care), Vegan/gluten-free
- 01
Procurement & import of organic raw materials
- 02
Manufacturing in the Govinda manufactory (fruit balls, confection, laddu)
- 03
Filling & packaging
- 04
Quality assurance & quality management
- 05
Warehouse & logistics
- 06
Distribution via wholesale, online shop and factory store
Product Groups & Processes
Copper
Used for the Ayurvedic tongue cleaner in the non-food range.
Stainless steel
Material of the tongue cleaners in the body care category, robust and reusable.
Organic ingredients (dates, nuts, coconut, sesame and others)
Raw materials of the manufactory production, including dates from a fair-trade project in Tunisia.
Locations
Neustadt an der Weinstraße
DEWarehouse, logistics, production & factory store (Bioladen by Govinda)
- Materials
- Organic ingredients
- Manufactory production
- Warehouse hall
- Factory store
Heidelberg
DEHead office
Products
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food manufacturing in own manufactory (fruit balls, confection, pralines, laddu –Plastics | – | – | – | – | Organic ingredients (dates, nuts, coconut, sesame etc.) |
| Filling and packagingAssembly | – | – | – | – | Food |
Additional services
Reference customers
Quality
A dedicated quality assurance and quality management department accompanies procurement, production and distribution; the company is certified as an organic control body (DE-ÖKO-001).
| Evidence | Neustadt an der Weinstraße |
|---|---|
| DE-ÖKO-001 (organic control body number) |
History
- 1988
Doris Maiwald opens the vegetarian organic specialty store 'Higher Taste' in Heidelberg and launches the Govinda mail-order business for Ayurvedic products
- 1991
Birth of daughter Jasmin Maiwald
- 1990er
First major breakthrough with the soap nut; development of fruit balls and fruit confection by Wilhelm Kinn, who joins the Govinda manufactory
- 1990er/2000e
Relocation of the mail-order business and fruit ball manufactory to Birkenfeld, later to Neuhofen
- 2020
January: New construction of the Govinda headquarters including warehouse in Neustadt an der Weinstraße with around 30 employees; 22.10.: Opening of the factory store 'Bioladen by Govinda'
- 2021
New products as well as initiatives against food waste and 'A Warm Meal for Children'
- 2022
23.11.: Two Govinda products awarded the 'Bestes Bio 2023' label by Schrot & Korn
- 2023
23.11.: Chufella awarded the 'Bestes Bio 2024' label by Schrot & Korn
- 2025
20.12.: Christmas donation to the Stiftung St. Franziskus