Kiwi company teams up with local partner to sell fruit products here

"Thailand is a centre of Asean. The country could be a springboard to other countries. With emerging middle-class people and incomes, Thais are a new target market for the firm, as they will be concerned more about health foods and innovative products," Peter Tinholt, general manager of Asia-Pacific at Taura Natural Ingredients, said last week.

The company sees potential for growth along with the integration of Asean and rise of the region.

It is confident that it could penetrate the Thai market.

Then it could use Thailand as a base for penetrating other Asean markets, particularly neighbouring countries.

Taura has already shipped its ingredients to Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia, but it has not yet sold its ready-to-eat products, which it will soon be launched in Thailand.

This unique bagged snack concept could create an exciting new category in Thailand’s grocery market that offers a real alternative to added-sugar confectionery, he said.

The political conflict in Thailand should create only a short-term impact on the domestic market. The company has planned for long-term investment, which could include a plant here, so the political problem had not influenced the company’s decision to start a business in Thailand, he added.

Nathawut Paopreecha, managing director of Joe-Ry Family, said the firm expects almost Bt10 million in its first year of distribution in Thailand. The new snacks under the "Wel-B Fruit Bites" brand will first go on sale in 700 7-Eleven convenience stores in Greater Bangkok.

The firm is negotiating with other retailers to distribute its products next year.

The two companies revealed their plans to work together to introduce the innovative new fruit snack during the official visit of New Zealand’s prime minister to Thailand.

Wel-B Fruit Bites, which have been produced by local company Joe-Ry Family, offers consumers a healthier and convenient alternative to gelatine-based sugar confectionery that doesn’t compromise on flavour and texture.

These unique attributes are achievable due to Taura’s URC Mixed Berry fruit flakes. Offering exceptional taste, Taura’s Mixed Berry fruit flakes are made from 99-per-cent fruit with no artificial colours and flavours and no added preservatives. They are vegetarian, Halal-certified and contain more than seven times their weight in fresh fruit equivalent.

The fruit flakes are made in Taura’s modern, BRC-approved factory in New Zealand. They are then shipped to Thailand to be packaged in 14-gram sachets as Wel-B Fruit Bites by Joe-Ry Family at its plant in Samut Sakhon. The price for a sachet is Bt15.

Taura’s ultra-rapid concentration proposition is a unique process of concentrating the taste, texture and natural goodness of fruit into pieces, flakes and pastes for use in applications such as chocolate, baked goods, cereals, chocolate, confectionery and snack bars. Fruit pieces made using the URC process offer long shelf life, consistent quality and superior levels of safety.

Taura delivers exceptional taste and functionality.

Taura has sales and manufacturing operations in New Zealand for Asia-Pacific, Belgium for Europe and a sales operation in Virginia, US for North America.