Cargill has announced a €35 million investment in its existing European manufacturing channels in Manchester (UK), Bergen op Zoom (The Netherlands) and Wroclaw (Poland).

This allows additional glucose-fructose syrups production, offering food and beverage customers access to a balanced and more flexible sweetener portfolio based on corn and wheat. The investment is set in the context of the end of the European sugar regime as of October 2017.

Cargill has an extensive footprint of starches and sweeteners production facilities in EMEA, with twelve plants in ten countries. As the leading market player, Cargill already offers a full range of sweetening solutions and ingredient expertise, but is now expanding the finishing lines for glucose-fructose syrups production.

Effective October 2017, coinciding with the end of the European sugar regime, the three Cargill locations – Manchester, Bergen op Zoom and Wroclaw – will be able to offer customers a broader range of glucose-fructose syrups, transforming current raw materials in a more versatile portfolio. Not only does this reinforce Cargill’s geographic network, it also reinforces its commitment to these communities. 

The investment illustrates Cargill’s ambition to be fully equipped to deal with the growing demand for sweetness solutions and alternatives. “Our broad product portfolio and technical capabilities coupled with our extended network of facilities across Europe and our expertise in supply chain risk management will help customers to keep on innovating, expand their sweetness options, mitigate business risk and create value”, says Alain Dufait, business director at Cargill Starches & Sweeteners (pictured above).

Going forward, food and beverages customers will be able to benefit more widely from the attractive Cargill C✩TruSweet glucose-fructose syrups range which optimises customers’ production costs while offering quality and taste. C✩TruSweet glucose-fructose syrups are part of the broad Cargill sweetness product portfolio ranging from full to mid and zero calorie sweeteners, including stevia and Zerose erythritol, the zero calorie sweetener.

The end of the European sugar regime lifts the production quota of glucose-fructose syrups and sugar in the European Union. “For the first time in decades, there is an opportunity to offer a fully flexible sweetener product portfolio ranging from full to zero calorie options to meet customers’ needs,” Dufait adds. As a result of the October 2017 milestone there will likely be a higher sugar price volatility. This will indirectly impact the supply and demand of related starch product groups for the European food & beverage industry. Cargill will be offering customers risk mitigation solutions with alternative sweeteners produced in Europe, from European raw materials.