Ambienta snaps up Nactis Flavours to ramp up natural ingredients production
14 Jan 2020 --- Pan-European private equity investor Ambienta is acquiring a majority stake in France-headquartered Nactis Flavours Group, under a new holding called Nactarome. Through this move, Nactis Flavours is joining forces with two Italian ingredients manufacturers, AromataGroup and IPAM, which were previously acquired by Ambienta. This acquisition will allow Ambienta to strengthen its presence in natural products and in the field of sustainability, with an anticipated turnover above €100 million (US$111.3 million).
“We are very excited to join forces with AromataGroup and IPAM under the new holding Nactarome: a new, ambitious project, in which Nactis and its staff will enjoy important future growth and international development,” says Hervé Lecesne, Founder of Nactis Flavours and President of Nactarome.
AromataGroup is positioned as a major player in the production of natural flavors, herb and plant extracts, as well as colorings. It is active in the Italian and broader European food industries, particularly for alcoholic drinks, ice creams, bakery products, chocolates and cosmetics.
IPAM is an Italian market specialist in breading solutions and functional ingredients for the food industry, with special focus on the ready meal market segment, offering a wide range of marinades, fillings and flavorings for vegetables and meat applications.
Joining forces with AromataGroup and IPAM will allow Nactis Flavours to strengthen its formulation expertise and manufacturing of sweet and savory solutions for customers from over 80 countries, the company notes. Innovation will continue to drive its growth strategy with various R&D departments, in which more than 60 specialists are employed.
As highlighted by Mélanie Jaloustre, Marketing Manager at Nactis Flavours, in previous FoodIngredientsFirst coverage, floral notes are currently driving NPD and part of the company’s core development alongside popular Asian flavor notes, which are frequently coming to the fore for taste innovation.
At CFIA 2019, held in Rennes, France, Nactis Flavours unveiled three innovations that aim to meet the food industry’s megatrends: naturality, sugar reduction, exoticism and the reduction of meat. In the flavors sector, Nactis Flavours continues to draw its inspiration from different styles of cuisine from all around the world.
This year, global flavors from Latin America and Asia like guava, blood orange, yuzu, chili, cayenne and cardamom will be popular in beverages across categories, according to flavor trend predictions for 2020. Ingredients with bold colors like blue majik, turmeric, beet, matcha and butterfly pea flower will be used to create visually appealing and “instagrammable” beverages. Meanwhile, creamy textures from nitrogen-infusions and whipped ingredients will continue to proliferate. Beverages with chewable ingredients such as boba and basil seeds will also become more prevalent next year.
Antoine Gambart, presently Head of BU Flavours, has been appointed CEO of Nactis Flavours Group. The current sales teams will remain unchanged, the company affirms.
Edited by Benjamin Ferrer
