Natural colors: Frutarom now among top five global suppliers

“Frutarom has taken full control of the supply chain through reverse integration to ensure safe, natural colorants, with complete traceability,” says Ori Yehudai, President and CEO of Frutarom. “Placing the customer at the focal point of our business allowed us to effect true change in how the company engages with partners and farmers while maintaining complete transparency.”

Thierry Gay, Technical Sales Director, Natural Colors at Frutarom told FoodIngredientsFirst: “Going for more and more transparency on the whole supply chain. We have implemented this strategy step by step in the last three years to make sure that we can commit to grow and provide high-quality natural products and help the farmers with best practices and ensure their income.”

“Producing natural, ethical and sustainable ingredients are the main drivers for millennials and consumers of tomorrow,” he adds.

“The plan is to extend the range of natural colors from farm-to-fork to additional colors and shades, but regarding new sources, there are restrictions coming from different regulation across the world,” Gay notes.

Frutarom initiated dozens of agriculture collaborations with local farmers in multiple locations and countries to ensure the supply of continuous and sustainable natural sourcing of pigments and food colorings. Also, the company has increased the technical competencies for its already expansive extract capabilities. Frutarom-owned facilities located near the farms. This is how the company ensures transparency and traceability from the farm to the final product, as well reducing environmental impacts and ensuring responsible sourcing to customers. The company can assure secure supply, meet volume demands, safeguard product quality, and provide seamless service at every juncture.

“This strategic move to become a major player in natural colors globally took only three years, but we put immense efforts and investments to do it right, and beneficial to the local farmers and our employees,” adds Yehudai.

€5 million investment
The company recently opened a natural color formulations center at its Etol plant in Celje, Slovenia, to provide its European customers full, customized service. The center will help clients with natural colors application, creating natural flavor combinations, and utilization of its advanced beverage compound technologies for producing innovative, sustainable food and beverage products with an eye on the competitive edge.

The new formulation hub will serve 15,000 Frutarom’s customers in Europe – about 50 percent of the company’s global customers. The Etol facility provides extensive expertise in flavors and formulation development. Frutarom acquired the 90-year-old company in 2012.

“Etol has a solid reputation of successful cooperation with food and beverage customers in creating new flavor solutions,” says Yehudai. “Frutarom Etol is expanding its offerings to include a full range of natural colors manufactured with advanced technologies. Natural colors are much more challenging than synthetic colors regarding their sensitivity, and if not incorporated correctly can be less stable in food and beverage applications.”

“Frutarom makes it possible to bridge the gap between consumers who want natural, sustainable products in which they can understand and identify each ingredient with food manufacturer’s need to create a new, functional, tasty product with natural coloring,” explains Yehudai.