Cargill is investing $35 million to enable the production of soluble fibres in Europe, in an effort to broaden its portfolio of starches, sweeteners and texturisers.
Cargill estimates that its soluble fibre products will be available in 2021, and the investment marks its first move into soluble fibres in Europe.
According to Cargill, its new soluble fibres will enable sugar reduction of up to 30% in formulations, as well as calorie reduction and fibre enrichment in confectionery, bakery goods, fillings, cereals, ice cream and dairy applications.
The investment comes as Cargill seeks to ensure its portfolio keeps pace with market trends and consumer demands. Figures provided by Cargill show a 23% average increase in Europe of product launches with fibre claims, and a 16% increase in products with sugar-reduced claims in the past five years.
Jan-Peter Scheurwater, Cargill global strategy and business development director, sweetness, said: “Calorie and sugar reduction remains a key priority for many manufacturers amid growing interest from health-conscious consumers.
“As a holistic provider of sweetness solutions, Cargill is addressing this need by developing fibre ingredients which enable improvement of the nutritional profile, including sugar and calorie reduction, in consumer products.”
Alain Dufait, managing director of Cargill Starches, Sweeteners and Texturizers Europe, added: “This is a crucial investment to complement the broad portfolio of starches, including label-friendly functional and native starches, texturizers and sweeteners, ranging from full- to no-calorie Cargill makes available to our manufacturing customers.
“Our expanded offerings support the wide range of product formulations our customers need, while helping them meet changing consumer preferences.”
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