With demand for multi-sensorial sugar confectionery products on the rise, Cargill is enhancing its starches, sweeteners, and texturizers capabilities and offerings with a new blending facility in its flagship site in Pandaan, East Java, Indonesia. Cargill’s first blending facility located within Southeast Asia strengthens its capability to serve sugar confectionery customers and consumers in Asia.

Francesca Kleemans, managing director, Food Solutions Southeast Asia, Cargill, explains, “The sugar confectionery industry in Asia Pacific is projected to grow at 5% CAGR from 2024 to 2028[1]. Meanwhile, Cargill’s 2024 TrendTrackerTM proprietary research revealed that 40% of APAC consumers are prioritizing texture in their food & beverage choices. When it comes to sugar confectionery products, Asian consumers show a preference for a diversity of textures – from hard candies and chewy gummies to popping and fizzy sweets.”

"Serving the Asia Pacific region, with Indonesia as one of the key markets, our new state-of-art blending facility allows Cargill to develop “Asia for Asia” specialty solutions, combining modified starches, sweeteners, pectin and carrageenan to help create exciting sugar confectionery treats with different textures for Asian consumers. Further bolstered by our insight-led innovation and formulation expertise, we are able to support our customers in meeting unique market needs and diverse consumer demands across Asia, such as for nature-derived ingredients and halal requirements,” she added.

As a food solutions provider with one of the most comprehensive portfolios in the industry, operating eight starches, sweeteners and texturizers plants in Indonesia, India and China, and four Asian food innovation centers in Singapore, Shanghai, Beijing and Gurgaon, Cargill is well positioned to deliver value, innovation and growth for customers across the region.

This latest investment in a blending facility in Indonesia further signals Cargill’s desire to create relevant innovations to meet market and consumer demands in Asia, particularly in the sugar confectionery space. With its strong operation and innovation capabilities in Asia, Cargill is helping customers to shorten and strengthen their food supply chains with supply reliability and product innovation from the region, thereby increasing the speed-to-market of their products to end consumers.