Bakery ingredients company Puratos has opened four new African subsidiaries, as it aims to further establish local presence in its key countries.
The subsidiaries have been formed as joint ventures with local partners in Kenya, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia and Nigeria.
By focusing on the African market, Puratos aims to strengthen the customer relationship and localise production. With local production factories, the company aims to reduce food imports and its ecological footprint, while also contributing to food security in Africa.
Following the move, Puratos says it hopes to develop new applications and ingredients using local raw materials. It also intends to improve the livelihood of local communities and contribute to Africa’s undernutrition problems.
“Puratos is currently taking part in a study with the University of Pretoria in South Africa to investigate the potential of indigenous African crops for African bakery and patisserie applications,” said Olivier Tilkens, regional director Africa at Puratos.
He continued: “The functionality and nutritional contribution of these new ingredients will be studied as well as the impact on sensorial sensation and the sustainable cultivation of the plant resources.”
Puratos Kenya covers the Kenyan, Tanzanian, and Ugandan markets, taking over activities from Puratos’ previous distributor Papyrus. Meanwhile, Puratos Nigeria is a JV between Puratos and the Adegunwa family, who are involved in various food manufacturing and distribution activities in the country.
The firm’s Ivory Coast subsidiary will locally produce patisserie and bakery powders and is a JV formed with the shareholders of Sabimex, Puratos’ distributor for over six years in the country. Puratos Ethiopia is a JV with Dachi Manufacturing PLC, an Ethiopian-based company in the manufacturing and distribution of bakery and patisserie ingredients.
Tilkens added: “We are excited about opening new subsidiaries in Africa. These joint ventures will enable us to meet customers’ growing demands for high-quality products.
“We are proud to deepen our presence across the continent and to continue to invest in existing collaborations that have been so welcoming to us for more than two decades.”
In the announcement, Puratos said there would be a series of future investments to follow including a new production facility in Kenya, an innovation centre in Nigeria and a chocolate production facility in the Ivory coast.
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