Taura targets Asian and US markets with fruit and veg inclusions

08-Dec-2011 - Last updated on 19-Aug-2020 at 07:32 GMT

Will fruit inclusions stimulate innovation in EU market?

Related tags Nutrition

Taura Natural Ingredients, which was launching is URC Inclusions range at FIE in Paris last week, is aiming to enter both the US and Asian confectionery, snack, breakfast cereal and bakery markets with fruit and vegetable pieces produced by rapid concentration.

Taura, which has production facilities both in Belgium and New Zealand, reckons fruit and vegetable ingredients now offer manufacturers a major opportunity to market nutritious products without the need to resort to using health claims - a particular strength in the current EU regulatory climate.

Indeed, in 2011 the European market for 100% fruit ingredients grew 20% to a value of €40-€45m, according to data from New Nutrition Business.

And Mattias Van Uffelen, head of sales for Europe & UK at Taura, told FoodNavigator.com, at the Paris event, that the group has established strong relationships with market leaders in the fruit snacking segment in the UK and in Europe, as well as with bagged confectionery producers in those regions.

The US and Asia are next in terms of Taura’s expansion strategy, he continued. “We see great potential for our portfolio of ingredients in North America as in that market, currently, fruit inclusions in products are based mainly on juices, flavours, and colours - not pure fruit.”

Asia, said Van Uffelen, also represents fertile territory for the pure fruit and vegetable ingredient producer with consumers in the larger markets there embracing health and wellness and convenience trends.