Nature-based ingredients solutions provider CP Kelco has seen stronger demand for clean label products, particularly in the citrus fibre segment. To meet the current market needs, it will be investing $50 million to increase the production capacity of its NUTRAVA™ Citrus Fiber variant.

This capital investment will mostly go into adding a production line in their facility in Matao, Brazil. It is scheduled for completion and operation by 2023, and will be able to roll out 5,000 metric tonnes of product.

The NUTRAVA™ Citrus Fiber was first introduced in 2019 and is manufactured from sustainably sourced citrus peels, which are normally discarded by the juicing industry. It features lower levels of sugar and fat, without affecting the desired texture and taste of the end products. This makes it a healthier and viable ingredient to make a food item more clean label.

This citrus fibre variant can be incorporated in dairy and alternative protein products, fruit-flavoured beverages, condiments, dressings and soups.

“We are excited about reaching this important milestone in our journey with NUTRAVA™ Citrus Fiber, which originated as a proof-of-concept only four years ago,” said Didier Viala, President of CP Kelco. “As a result of strong collaboration amongst our global team members and development partners since that time, our citrus fiber has evolved into a robust product line for use across a range of food and beverage applications, with a growing customer pipeline globally. We look forward to continuing to explore the possibilities for NUTRAVA™ Citrus Fiber in additional application segments.”

CP Kelco has about 90 years of experience in innovating nature-based ingredients utilised in the food and beverage industry.