SLOVENIA: Frutarom has become one of the top five suppliers of natural colors worldwide following its acquisition of several natural colors companies, and major investments in building fully integrated, safe, and controlled supply chains, according to company executives, who note that Frutarom has experienced double-digit growth annually in the natural colorants segment.


“Frutarom has taken full control of the supply chain through reverse integration in order to ensure safe, natural colorants, with complete traceability,” explained 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.”


Frutarom recently opened a natural color formulations center at its Etol plant in Celje, Slovenia to provide its European customers full, customized service. It invested €5 million in advanced equipment and technology for the new facility. The new formulation hub will serve 15,000 Frutarom’s customers in Europe, which represent about 50% 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,” said 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 in terms of their sensitivity, and if not incorporated correctly can be less stable in food and beverage applications.”