Interview: New Naturex VP Highlights Quality, Authentication and Traceability

21 Feb 2017 --- Naturex recently announced the appointment of Reza Kamarei PhD, to the role of global Nutrition & Health R&D Vice President for Naturex. Kamarei holds four academic degrees in the field of nutrition and food science including a PhD in food science & technology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He has extensive R&D and management experience in the areas of functional ingredients, nutraceuticals, food and beverages and dietary supplements.

His executive expertise at various corporations and his track record of substantial contribution to the growth and profitability of global and national corporations makes him a key addition to the management team. Being inventor and co-inventor of numerous US and international patents and the author of many scientific papers, Kamarei’s missions at Naturex will include coming up with creative ideas, developing new products and technologies, improving existing products and contributing to the group’s open-innovation initiatives on a global level. “I’m thrilled to start a new challenge within Naturex and look forward to working with the team to further develop an extensive innovative product range.”

Speaking to FoodIngredientsFirst Kamarei (pictured) said: “The ingredients market will naturally go where the products market will go and the products market will go where there is a strong consumer demand for them. The most important consumer demand these days are around health.”

“In this respect, one clear trend is: shift from synthetic ingredients to natural ingredients. This is where the ingredients market is going and where market opportunity is.  The challenges are associated with offering quality, authentic and traceable natural plant ingredients to satisfy customer and consumer needs,” he says.  

According to Kamarei there are many innovative R&D products in the pipeline for Naturex. “The goal is to offer high quality ingredients that are safe and efficacious in terms of health improvement and risk reduction,” he explains. 
 
“Natural plant ingredients are generally on the rise,” Kamarei continues, “Among them, those ingredients which are offered as quality, authenticated and traceable products with substantiated health claims based on Good Clinical Practices (GCP) have a better chance for a rise. In this respect, Naturex is in an excellent positon since all the required elements (i.e. being highly respected in the industry, focused exclusively on natural plant ingredients, great sourcing capabilities, numerous production plants around the globe, and dedicated R&D and clinical trials, and marketing and sales teams) for such a “rise” are in place and those ingredients are in fact opportunities for Naturex.”
 
“The ambition is to come up with creative ideas, develop new products and technologies, improve existing products and contribute to the group’s open-innovation initiatives on a global level. I look forward to working with my R&D team in New Jersey and Avignon to contribute in securing Naturex global leadership in the field,” he confirms. 

Naturex also announced the appointment of Mary T. Clarke (pictured) as Senior Vice President and General Manager for North America in the same week. 
 
Mary comes to Naturex with a wealth of experience within the specialty ingredients industry, notably the Food, Pharma & Personal Care sectors. Her background includes an executive MBA in Finance from the University of Delaware, and a BE in Chemical Engineering. Her extensive expertise in leading global manufacturing businesses and recognized ability for developing talent and driving results, will be a valuable asset to the Naturex team. Mary’s most recent roles as General Manager with global ingredients companies will help her transition smoothly into her current position with Naturex, where she will be responsible for the North American business, including regional strategy for Bright2020. 

“I am excited and proud to lead Naturex’s North American team,” said Clarke. “Our employees are at the heart of our success and I look forward to writing the next chapter in our 25-year history with them.” 

Olivier Rigaud, Naturex’s CEO commented: “The appointments of Kamarei and Clarke are a sign of our commitment to achieving our Bright 2020 objectives. I’m confident that both Kamarei and Clarke will play key roles in delivering Naturex’s growth targets and outstanding service and innovation to our clients.”

At HiE 2016, Naturex showcased several applications, including an infused birch and cucumber water drink, an instant drink made from moringa, and a sports drink that can be personalized to the user’s needs.

The demand for nutrition from natural sources is steadily increasing and as consumers’ approaches to healthy living become more proactive and holistic, the food and nutraceutical industries must be able to answer the call, according to the company.

The 3-step approach is:

- Intuitive nutrition: botanical, fruit and vegetable ingredients that offer natural nutrient sources, to speak to and reassure consumers,

- Fortification: standardized natural ingredients that go beyond consumer intuition to answer quantifiable nutritional needs,

- Nutrition with purpose: whether it's serious athletes looking to boost performance or busy executives that want to manage their weight, natural nutrition can be targeted to specific needs.

by Elizabeth Kenward