Frutarom: A Preferred Partner in Taste & Healthy Success

Frutarom, North Bergen, NJ, was founded over 70 years ago as a multinational flavor and fragrance house. In the early 1990s, the company became significant player in the nutraceuticals business when it started offering a range of botanical extracts for a variety of applications, including pharmaceuticals, dietary supplements, foods and beverages. According to Bill Ludlum, president, North America, Frutarom further strengthened its position in botanical extracts two years ago when it acquired Flachsmann, a Switzerland-based company that produces pharmaceutical-grade extracts for the European market. The acquisition made perfect sense because Flachsmann’s activity was viewed as complementary to Frutarom’s activity in its two existing divisions: compounds/flavors and fine ingredients.

It is under the Flachsmann brand that Frutarom Switzerland develops, manufactures and markets high quality herbal extracts to the pharmaceutical, as well as to the health and functional food/beverage industries. As brands and seals of quality, “Flachsmann” and “EFLA” stand for technologically superior extracts, standardized, validated and, in some cases, produced by means of patented extraction procedures.

Today Frutarom offers a range of 60 standard extracts, in addition to what it calls “top line” extracts, or EFLA extracts. So what is the difference between the standard extracts and the EFLA line? Michael Faber, business manager, North America, explained, “For the EFLA extracts we are able to provide comprehensive support in the form of pharmacological, safety, toxicological and drug interaction data, which is comparable in quality to a European Drug Master File (DMF). This is especially important for prescription drugs in certain European markets.”

Along with the EFLA extracts, Frutarom also provides substantial regulatory and marketing support, including innovative product concepts, and all EFLA extracts are produced using patented process technologies. “Our patented process technologies are pursued very aggressively within our company because they are what make Frutarom’s extracts unique in the marketplace,” Mr. Faber said. “We use our patented process technologies and the data that have been generated specifically on our extracts to fortify our position in the market.”

Frutarom’s latest marketing campaign, “For Every Beat of Your Heart,” focuses on metabolic syndrome. It was officially launched for the European market in May at the Vitafoods International show, and it will be promoted in the U.S. market at November’s SupplySide West show. The new marketing initiative serves as an umbrella under which several of the company’s extracts apply. “This is of high interest to us because we have several extracts that are suitable for this indication, including EFLA 767 Garlic Extract, which addresses atherosclerosis; EFLA 945 Red Vine Leaf, which addresses cardiovascular health; and EFLA 943 Olive Leaf Extract, which addresses hypertension and has been shown in a clinical study to reduce this cardiovascular disease risk factor significantly,” Mr. Faber offered.

Frutarom is also branching out in new directions. Just a few months ago it launched a new division dedicated to functional foods and beverages. Mr. Ludlum discussed the company’s new venture. “Our intention is to develop a more strategic direction for the company in the functional food area utilizing all of our basic ingredients,” he said. “The Functional Foods Division is a perfect marriage of the core businesses within Frutarom—flavors and extracts.”

The future seems bright for nu­traceuticals, says Mr. Ludlum, especially as the importance of health and wellness continues to grow amongst consumers. “Due to the awareness the public has in reference to health and wellness, we see a great benefit in using our extracts in foods and beverages,” he said, adding, “The wealth of data we have on our extracts certainly supports this endeavor.”—R.W.

Frutarom
9500 Railroad Avenue
North Bergen, NJ 07047
Telephone: 201-861-9500
Fax: 201-861-8711
E-mail: mfaber@us.frutarom.com
Website: www.frutarom.com