The Chisinau Blonda beer won a gold medal at the 2010 Monde Selection International Contest organized by the Belgian International Institute for Quality Selections. The Moldovan beer competed with famous brands and best drinks from over 80 countries, Info-Prim Neo reports, quoting a communiqué from EFES Vitanta Moldova Brewery (EVMB). “The result achieved at this international contest confirms the high quality of the beer made in Moldova,” said representatives of the company. ”This result shows that the beer Chisinau Blonda can compete with well-known international brands. We are glad that our efforts to make beer of the highest quality were rewarded,” said EVMB director general Kenan Ozcelik. Monde Selection has been held in Belgium every year since1961. The over 2,000 products from about 80 countries presented at the contest compete in the following categories: alcoholic drinks, beer and soft drinks, tobacco, food products, cosmetic products and others. The awards are given to products that meet the European quality and tasting standards. The gold medal is offered to the beers with the best taste and a score of more than 90%. Since 2003, when the factory Vitanta Intravest became part of the EFES Group, over US$75 million has been invested in improving the production process and the quality of the products. There was modernized the system of filtering the water used in making beer. Emphasis was laid on making the production process ecological and efficient from economic viewpoint. EVMB is the leading beer maker in Moldova, with a market share of 69%. EVMB has a production capacity of over 240 million liters of beer. The company’s brand names are: Chisinau Blonda, Chisinau Originala, Chisinau Speciala Tare, Chisinau Draft, Chisinau Draft Mild, Chisinau Aurie, Vitanta Premium, and the low-alcohol drinks Festival.