Frutarom's Etol plant in Celje, Slovenia. © Google
Frutarom has opened a natural colour formulations centre at its Etol plant in Celje, Slovenia, following a €5 million investment in equipment and technology for the new facility.
The new formulation hub will serve 15,000 of Frutarom’s customers in Europe – about 50% of the company’s global customers.
Frutarom completed the takeover of flavour manufacturer Etol in 2012.
Ori Yehudai, Frutarom CEO, said: “Etol has a solid reputation of successful cooperation with food and beverage customers in creating new flavour solutions.
“Frutarom Etol is expanding its offerings to include a full range of natural colours manufactured with advanced technologies. Natural colours are much more challenging than synthetic colours in terms of their sensitivity, and if not incorporated correctly can be less stable in food and beverage applications.
“Frutarom makes it possible to bridge the gap between consumers who want natural, sustainable products in which they can understand and identify each ingredient with food manufacturers’ need to create a new, functional, tasty product with natural colouring.”
The news comes as Frutarom expands its capabilities in natural colours following the acquisition of several natural colours companies in recent years.
It said that it has experienced double-digit growth annually in its natural colourants segment.
Frutarom initiated dozens of agriculture collaborations with local farmers in multiple locations and countries to ensure the supply of continuous and sustainable natural sourcing of pigments and food colourings.
Added Yehudai: “Frutarom has taken full control of the supply chain through reverse integration in order to ensure safe, natural colourants, with complete traceability.
“Placing the customer at the focal point of our business allowed us to effect true change in how the company engages with partners and farmers, while maintaining complete transparency.”
Last year, Yehudai told FoodBev that Frutarom plans to have at least $2 billion in sales by 2020 and that it has identified 400 acquisition targets that are producers of natural ingredients, colours or antioxidants.
© FoodBev Media Ltd 2024