Company accelerates customer innovation in growing Middle East/North Africa markets

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Wormerveer, Netherlands, July 1, 2020 – As part of its focus on Turkey, the Middle East and North Africa, Bunge Loders Croklaan (BLC), a world leader in edible oils and fats, is expanding its worldwide innovation network with its first Creative Studio in the region to serve its customers in the region. The studio will be adjacent to the Bunge Turkey office. 

 

“Our goal is to be close to our customers and work with them to streamline product development and time-to-market,” says Renee Boerefijn, Director of Innovation EMEA for Bunge Loders Croklaan. “Whether pioneering products with a balanced nutritional profile or creating more indulgent treats, our Creative Studios help our customers stay ahead of the competition. They are the physical representation of the concept, ‘Let’s create together,’ which is fundamental to who we are as a company and to our commitment to innovation. A number of new studios are in the pipeline, all designed to guide our regional customers toward effective translation of ideas into winning new products.”

 

The state-of-the-art studio is a dynamic workshop environment that provides on-site support to regional confectionery and bakery manufacturers to co-create innovative new products with sensory appeal, vibrant new flavors, and enhanced total nutritional value while staying ahead of constantly evolving trends, supporting them in the  design of exciting new solutions to meet regional tastes.

 

Middle East’s growing appetite for innovative products

 

According to Euromonitor, Turkey’s overall confectionery market is worth an estimated $3.5B. and is expected to increase 14.3% in value by the end of 2021. Turkey makes up a big part of Eastern Europe’s entire candy market, with an 11.5% share.

 

And Turkey is not the only growth market. Data from Innova Market Insights points to a Middle Eastern population with a growing sweet tooth. The global research group noted an increase in product launches for bakery and confectionery of +23% and +20%, respectively, when comparing 2018 and 2019 launches, with chocolate and biscuits being the top categories. There is also an upswing in innovation. Fusion of regional flavors in biscuit and cakes such as halva, hummus, and labneh cheese is trending.

 

Capturing food trends

 

The Istanbul Creative Studio will be managed by Oznur Kose, Application & Technical Support Manager Turkey, supported by a local team of experts, and is the latest addition to the existing global network of Creative Experience Centers. It will serve to develop solutions with food manufacturers across bakery, confectionery, culinary, and dairy in collaboration with innovative networks such as Le Cordon Bleu. It will also provide training in specific ancillary issues, such as reformulation of products according to new regulations including SAFA, trans-fats, and food safety.

 

“Working with a team of dedicated experts in one of our Creative Studios is an exhilarating experience,” enthuses Kose. “The new studio in Istanbul is now part of Bunge’s extensive network in Turkey. This allows us to serve regional customers on a broad range of oils, fats and specialty solutions.”

 

The official opening ceremony of the new studio is scheduled for October, 2020. The company is looking forward to meeting both its new and existing regional customers at the event. The site has been sterilized and workshops will take place in accordance with all Covid-19 directives.

 

About Bunge Loders Croklaan

Bunge Loders Croklaan (www.bungeloders.com) is a leading global producer and supplier of sustainable plant-based specialty oils and fats for the food manufacturing industry. It operates as the global B2B edible oils business of Bunge Limited (NYSE:BG). Its products are used in a wide range of applications, from bakery and confectionery to culinary and infant nutrition. With in-depth knowledge of ingredients, applications and processes, the Bunge Loders Croklaan team closely cooperates with customers to develop tailored solutions and create innovative products to meet their business goals and differentiate them in in the marketplace.

 

About Bunge

Operating in Turkey since the year 2000, Bunge (www.bunge.com, NYSE: BG) is a world leader in sourcing, processing and supplying oilseed and grain products and ingredients. Founded in 1818, Bunge’s expansive network feeds and fuels a growing world, creating sustainable products and opportunities for more than 70,000 farmers and the consumers they serve across the globe. The company is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri and has 24,000 employees worldwide who stand behind more than 350 port terminals, oilseed processing plants, grain facilities, and food and ingredient production and packaging facilities around the world.  In Turkey, Bunge produces branded products like Komili, Kirlangic, Sezai Omer, Madra, and Salat from production facilities located in Kocaeli, Kirklareli, Balikesir, and Izmir.

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