Sean Moloughney07.01.10
Since its establishment in 1988, iTi Tropicals, Inc., Lawrenceville NJ, has introduced North America to some of the most nutrient-dense fruits in the world, supplying tropical and exotic fruit juice, purees and concentrates to the food manufacturing industry. As more consumers crave so-called “superfruits,” the company remains committed to importing and distributing quality products while also offering product formulation services.
“For more than 20 years we have been introducing the food world to new and exciting fruit such as mangosteen, lychee, soursop, acerola, acai and most recently to a groundbreaking coconut water concentrate,” said Gert van Manen, the company’s president. “We have honed our focus to a specialized corner of the fruit industry in importing to the U.S. market. We have become a leader in tropical fruits and our expertise continues to grow exponentially.”
The company maintains stocks of highly nutritious fruits like acai, acerola, camu camu, dragon fruit, noni, pomegranate and others, alongside core items that include banana, coconut, guava, passion fruit, papaya, pineapple and mango. “These exotic fruits lay claim to some of the industry’s most up-and-coming supplements and nutraceuticals—naturally,” said Mr. van Manen.
iTi Tropicals also recently contributed funding to a research project at Rutgers University titled, “Total Phenolics and Antioxidant Capacity of Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) Pulp: Investigation, Processing and Storage Study.” The primary objective of the project is to measure the total phenolic content and the antioxidant (ORAC) capacity of cocoa pulp and study effects of thermal processing (pasteurization), as well as storage, on phenolic content and antioxidant value.
As a secondary focus, researchers will monitor the color of the pulp before and after processing and during storage. The success of this investigation could lead to increased value and marketability of the cocoa pulp. The possible utilization of this byproduct in other industrial processes can be considered as a diversification opportunity for the cocoa industry, according to the company.
Despite the troubled economy, Mr. van Manen said the supply business for retail products in the nutraceuticals trade has held strong. Growth may not be as significant as it once was, but it has done better than the 20-30% drop in business for the food service industry, he said. “As the economy improves, the food service side will pick up again I am sure,” he added. ”The retail side should continue to move forward at a modest pace.”
He also predicted that companies would continue to launch new retail products at a relatively slow but calculated pace, targeting specific areas with growth potential and ensuring the best possible chance for success. “Companies want to make sure they are spending their dollars wisely,” he said. “As far as our business at iTi Tropicals, we will continue to focus on our core products. We will include exciting new items like coconut water and acai, as well as some other items to help us move forward as an organization.”
Still, in the current climate, Mr. van Manen has his team focused on diligence. “At this point in time and under these economic conditions, we better make sure that we are doing the best possible job to market, sell and promote our products,” he said. “That includes selling and marketing, but also technical support, product knowledge and providing the highest quality product at a reasonable cost. This may seem simple, but it is critical to ensure growth in a highly competitive market going through transitional economic conditions.”
As more health-focused consumers turn to sophisticated fruits that are nutritious, pure and appealing, iTi Tropicals believes it is well positioned to meet growing demand in this competitive market.—S.M.
iTi Tropicals
30 Gordon Avenue
Lawrenceville, NJ 08648
Telephone: 609-987-0550
Fax: 609-987-0252
E-mail: don@ititropicals.com
Website: www.ititropicals.com
