Ingredients supplier Cargill is investing more than £30m in manufacturing operations as it looks to tap opportunities created by the end of the European sugar regime.
The business is ramping up production of glucose-fructose syrups by spending €35m on its sites in Manchester; Bergen op Zoom, The Netherlands; and Wroclaw, Poland.
The move comes ahead of EU sugar reforms that from 30 September 2017 will abolish: EU sugar production quotas; the cap on production of isoglucose (known as high fructose corn syrup in the US); and the minimum purchase price of sugar beet.
Cargill said the investment will enable it to offer customers a broader range of glucose-fructose syrups, adding it “illustrates Cargill’s ambition to be fully equipped to deal with the growing demand for sweetness solutions and alternatives”.
“For the first time in decades, there is an opportunity to offer a fully flexible sweetener product portfolio ranging from full to zero calorie options to meet customers’ needs,” said Alain Dufait, business director at Cargill Starches & Sweeteners.
Cargill added that, as a result of the abolition of quotas, there will likely be more sugar price volatility – and that alternative sweeteners may help customers mitigate this.
“Our broad product portfolio and technical capabilities coupled with our extended network of facilities across Europe and our expertise in supply chain risk management will help customers to keep on innovating, expand their sweetness options, mitigate business risk and create value,” said Dufait.
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