INDIA – French flavors and fragrances group, Mane SA has announced a strategic partnership with Akbar Tea, one of the largest tea trading companies in India to provide high end tea and coffee extracts.
Through a joint venture called ‘Ethical Extracts’, Mane will leverage its capabilities in providing food and drink industry with cutting edge taste solutions while utilizing supply chain prowess of Akbar Teas, a Sri Lanka based company owned by Akbar Brothers Ltd.
According to the companies, the JV will be among the world’s first producers of all natural premium Ceylon tea extracts, while also focusing on speciality coffee.
The deal will encompass a manufacturing facility housing technical and research strength of MANE, equipped with the most modern process technologies for aqueous extraction.
“This partnership creates a unique positioning in the Beverage segment with an ability to create even single origin or single estate portfolio of tastes and aromas with 100% traceability and sustainability.
With access to the world’s best teas and most modern extraction technology at source, combined with MANE’s 150 years of expertise in creating world class food and beverage solutions, this partnership shall foster development of new and innovative natural beverage ingredients that could herald an exciting chapter as much for the customers as for both Akbar and MANE,” said Jean M. MANE, President and CEO of MANE.
The family-owned MANE company will utilize the capabilities and expertise from its flavor research center in Singapore that opened its doors in 2016.
Together with other Group Strategic Development Centres, the group is looking to partner with consumers to create great beverage tastes around the globe.
Mane opened its first innovation center in Kenya, also the first in the region to serve the food and beverage industry.
The technical centers target to provide solutions to a wide spectrum of taste challenges: from creating unique organoleptic experiences to enhancing taste perceptions or covering off-tastes.
