Barentz International and Indian pharma firm unite to drive South Asia fortification opportunities
The two companies have signed a commercial agreement in order to provide food nutrition and fortification products to India and its neighbouring countries.
Pramod Yadav, co-CEO of Jubilant Life Sciences’ Life Science Ingredients business arm, said: “There is an increased awareness for nutrient-rich diets and we see a growing demand for ingredients and additives for food nutrition.”
Indeed, nutrition remains a hot topic in India, with officials rolling-out major fortification projects.
India offers a vast array of growth opportunities for both companies, said Barentz International CEO Hidde van der Wal. He added the company “hopes to position this partnership as a leading distribution player in India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh, and become a reference in nutrient fortification”.
Premixes and blends
He said that Jubilant Life Sciences’ experience with Indian regulatory bodies inspired confidence in the partnership’s ability to swiftly increase Barentz International’s market share.
Yadav also highlighted the prevalence of micronutrient deficiency in Asia, saying that “food fortification of staple food is an important measure to improve the health of the population” and that through the partnership, both companies “plan to offer high quality nutrient premixes and blends” to consumers.
This partnership comes after Barentz International opened a new office in Vietnam as part of its plan to expand its presence in Asia, which began with the 2012 establishment of its Vitablend facility in Singapore.
