EMEA expansion: ADM adds new tapioca starches to portfolio following partnership with GSL

17 Jan 2019 --- Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) is partnering with General Starch Limited (GSL), a leading tapioca starch producer located in Thailand, to extend its specialty and clean label starch portfolio to support customer solutions.

ADM is to have exclusive distribution rights of the GSL modified tapioca starch products in the majority of European countries, as well as in the Middle East and Africa. This range of specialty tapioca starches will then be sold under the ADM brand in a second phase of the partnership, according to the companies’ announcement.

This new agreement covers the full range of modified tapioca starches for the food industry. Starches help improve stability by binding water in food systems and can also enhance mouthfeel and control viscosity. They are ideal in applications such as dressings, sauces, bakery fillings, ice cream, yogurt, soups, bakery, beverages, meat and dry sausage applications. 

These non-GMO specialty tapioca starches provide viscosity with a clean neutral flavor profile and can be used as an effective alternative to the modified waxy corn and potato starches in a wide range of food applications, says ADM.

The product range also includes modified tapioca starches for industrial applications such as textiles and adhesives, or for wet-end applications to substitute the cationic potato starches. 

“We are very excited to expand our European portfolio with another raw material, which will generate great opportunities and new developments supported by our Starch Lab in Amsterdam, the Netherlands,” comments Johan Schrijver, Sales Director Starches EMEA at ADM. 

“This partnership puts ADM in a position to develop innovative customer solutions through a broad range of starches, each with unique properties and showcases our commitment to become one of the leading starch suppliers in Europe Middle East and Africa (EMEA),” he adds. 

Speaking to FoodIngredientsFirst, Schrijver notes: “Several drivers are fueling the demand for tapioca starch. In particular, this year’s challenging potato crop yield has put pressure on potato starch prices. As such, manufacturers have turned to alternative solutions to keep costs down. Meanwhile, there is also a growing trend for potatoes to be used primarily in potato chip production, rather than for starch production.”

 “In addition, waxy corn is being grown on demand. This means the volume available is limited and cannot be increased to replace potato starch fast enough. This creates further opportunity for tapioca-based starch varieties,” he says. 

In July 2018, ADM introduced a new line of specialty tapioca starches and tapioca maltodextrin ingredients in partnership with Vedan International Limited. Long-established in Asia, Vedan is a premier manufacturer of fermentation-based amino acids, food additive and cassava starch-based products. 

“Over the past few years, ADM has been focused on expanding the range of our starch-based ingredient options – especially those that are plant-based – to provide cleaner label options and solutions for customers,” said Kris DiTommaso, Vice President of ADM’s starch business, speaking at the time of the announcement. 

“Tapioca’s neutral taste profile allows it to be used in a wide range of applications, and we are pleased to now add tapioca-based modified starches and maltodextrins to our growing starch ingredient portfolio,” he added.