Naturex adds to pectin and juice concentrate portfolio with Polish acquisition

Speaking to this publication last month, president and CEO of the plant extract ingredient supplier, Jacques Dikansky, flagged up the company’s extremely ambitious bid to acquire five to six companies in the next six months, with the Polish firm the first of these to come to light.

Naturex did not reveal the financial transactions of the Pektowin deal at this juncture. Today, the CEO told FoodNavigator.com that the company will communicate the purchase price in January 2012, when it hopes to finalize the aquisition through the agreement of the Polish Ministry of Treasury.

When asked how Naturex is funding this and its other recent acquisition - Burgundy Botanicals in October - Dikanksy said financing was generated by the €50m the company "raised on the stock exchange market​ a few weeks ago." ​

The CEO said the acquisition of the Jaslo-based Polish pectin and juice concentrate producer "is perfectly in line with our growth strategy in complementary markets with a broadened product portfolio, a strengthened production capacity as well as additional industrial know-how.”​

And he added he was confident about the group’s ability to expedite the integration of Pektowin, which is specialized in the production of apple and citrus pectins and fruit and vegetable juice concentrates.

Pectin capacity ​

The December 2009 acquisition of the ingredients division of Natraceutical saw the Avignon-headquartered Naturex become one of the major producers of pectins worldwide. The French group said the purchase of Pektowin serves to strengthen its pectin manufacturing capacity as well as give it greater scalability “to meet customers’ needs.”​

Pectins are generally used as gelling agents in jams, confectionery, and bakery fillings, and stabilisers in yoghurts and milk drinks but a growing body of science is reporting their potential health benefits.

Juice concentrates ​

The French company said it is also to set to gain from additional production capacity in the field of juice concentrates.

Pektowin is one of the main Polish producers of fruit - mainly apples - and vegetable-based juice concentrates with an emphasis on red beets and black radishes, manufacturing over 6,000 tonnes of concentrates each year, using “high quality”​ local sourcing.

The French company said the Petkowin facility will supply its factories in Switzerland, specialized in fruit and vegetable powders from concentrates, and will also feed its colouring foodstuffs range - Vegebrite.

Burgundy enters fold ​

In November, Dikansky said the integration of its most recent acquisition, prior to today’s news, Burgundy into the Naturex fold was going well, with the sales side of that company already amalgamated into the wider group, despite the takeover occurring in late October.

The CEO said he expected Naturex to gain pre-acquisition earning levels mid-next year following that particular acquisition.

Last month also saw the French group get novel foods approval in China for its flavour masking system, Talin, with Dikansky saying that the regulatory backing opens up the “Chinese market for us in relation to our flavour enhancer, which works particularly well with sweeteners such as stevia.”​

Talin is produced in the company’s UK facility.