Dive Brief:
- Del Monte Corporation will offer real fruit extracts for use in beverage applications as part of a new partnership with ingredients manufacturer Treatt.
- The range of real fruit extracts includes pineapple, watermelon, mango and cantaloupe. The extracts are upcycled using portions of fruit that don't make it to finished fresh-cut products.
- The partnership is meant to offer beverage makers a clean-label ingredient solution as consumers look for better-for-you options that don't appear overly processed.
Dive Insight:
The new ingredients range comes as Del Monte explores more stable sources of revenue, with agricultural operations under pressure from the Iran war and other geopolitical pressures.
The company is charting new growth following the $285 million purchase of Del Monte Foods, which brought its fresh and canned fruit operations back under one owner for the first time in nearly four decades. The addition of the canned food business is expected to generate stronger cash generation as the fresh segment is expected to underperform, according to the company’s full year guidance.
"At Del Monte Corporation, we are continuously exploring new ways to maximize the value of every fruit we grow and source," Deema Anani, chief commercial officer of Del Monte's speciality ingredients division, said in a statement. "This collaboration reflects how innovation and responsible sourcing can work hand in hand, creating high-quality fruit-derived ingredients that help our customers meet evolving consumer preferences."
Del Monte entered the ingredients space in 2024 with the creation of a specialty ingredients division focused on clean-label options that resonate with health conscious consumers. The division is also meant to help Del Monte drive sustainability goals by ensuring nothing is wasted during the manufacturing process and turning unused products into high-value ingredients.
The partnership with Treatt uses the ingredient supplier's extraction process to capture real fruit flavors while still delivering consistency and performance within beverages. Treatt offers a variety of clean-label ingredients for the food and beverage industry with a range of botanicals, citrus and fruit flavors that can be used in a variety of applications.
As sustainability increasingly becomes part of clean-label credentials, the partnership's use of upcycled fruit gives Del Monte and Treatt's ingredients range another edge against competitors.
“Consumers increasingly expect beverages to deliver authentic taste, recognizable ingredients, and stronger sustainability credentials,” Emma Bowles, group director of category and marketing at Treatt, said in a statement. “By combining Del Monte’s fruit supply with Treatt’s natural extraction and ingredient expertise, we’ve created a range that helps brands meet all three demands without compromise.”
Other companies have been exploring how to use real fruit within food and beverage applications. Babybel owner Bel Brands in January partnered with Foodberry to develop new snacks using the tech company's plant-based coatings made from real fruit.
