Naturex is strengthening its position in Latin America in response to growing local demand for natural ingredients. Following the January 2014 acquisition of Chile Botanics and its factory in Linares, the group is now opening a sales office in Santiago, Chile.

The Chilean branch provides current and future customers with the full product portfolio and the latest innovations from Naturex, combined with local service. Part of a network of three sales offices and two factories in Latin America, the Chilean office is fully in line with the group’s expansion strategy in emerging markets. Guillaume Levade, Sales Director – Latin America is heading the sales office, which will support the development of three strategic markets: food & beverage, dietary supplements & pharmaceuticals, as well as cosmetics. Chilean customers will benefit from Naturex’s manufacturing expertise and global and local capabilities.

Chile is a very dynamic country with one of the highest GDPs per capita within the Latin America region. “This indicator confirms the potential of the country. Combined with the fact that Chile has the most free-trade agreements in the world, we think there is an exceptional opportunity for Naturex to grow our business in this country and facilitate the development of our presence in neighboring countries,” said Levade. The Latin American market remains a top priority for Naturex and the company continues to invest in the area in order to strengthen ties to its customers.

The richness of Chile’s natural environment also offers an opportunity for Naturex. The company sources Quillaja saponaria, a native tree rich in saponins from the Chilean forest. Sustainably harvested in partnership with local authorities, the wood is extracted to obtain quillaia extracts with different levels of purity. These specific extracts address different markets according to their final applications by either reinforcing natural foaming in beverages or by acting as a natural emulsifier in flavor or color emulsions and beverages.