Welch’s, Taura launch FruitWorx

Grape juice company Welch’s and Taura Natural Ingredients have announced a partnership that means inclusions produced from Welch’s Concord Grape Juice and Purée will be available to manufacturers of products such as nutrition bars, confectionery, bakery products and breakfast cereals for the first time. It will be marketed as FruitWorx. Under the terms of the […]

Grape juice company Welch’s and Taura Natural Ingredients have announced a partnership that means inclusions produced from Welch’s Concord Grape Juice and Purée will be available to manufacturers of products such as nutrition bars, confectionery, bakery products and breakfast cereals for the first time. It will be marketed as FruitWorx.

Under the terms of the deal, Taura Natural Ingredients will create concentrated pieces and pastes from Welch’s Concord Grape Juice and Purée using its URC process. Developed by Taura Natural Ingredients, URC (Ultra Rapid Concentration) is a process of concentrating the taste, texture and natural goodness of fruit into pieces, flakes and pastes for use in a wide range of formats – either alone or in combination with other fruits, and blended with grains including ancient grains such as chia.

FruitWorx pieces and pastes will be sold exclusively through both companies. Initially, FruitWorx will be available to the North American, Japanese and South Korean markets, with other geographies set to follow later.

The agreement represents a significant technological development, the companies said. The slip skin and large seeds of the Concord Grape make it difficult to use as an inclusion. However, using Taura Natural Ingredients’ technology to create FruitWorx is said to opens up a world of new opportunities with unlimited potential. Concepts now available include Welch’s Concord Grape Juice and Purée pieces enrobed in chocolate to make tasty treats, or combined with ancient grains to create nutritious new breakfast cereals. FruitWorx pieces and pastes, with their natural fruit sugars, are also said to be perfect for delicious snack bars.

“Welch’s mission is to bring the great taste of the Concord Grape to more places and to more people,” said Wayne D. Lutomski, Vice President of International & Global Ingredients for Welch’s. “Through our partnership with Taura Natural Ingredients, and its unique URC process, we will be able to take Concord Grapes into applications never before imagined.”

“Welch’s Concord Grape Juice products are widely known, enjoyed and trusted by millions of consumers and now, at last, food manufacturers can leverage this brand equity by using FruitWorx inclusions in their own products,” said Richard Croad, COO and President of Taura North America. “The two companies are a natural fit, combining Welch’s brand leadership and high levels of awareness with Taura Natural Ingredients’ expertise in the creation of high quality concentrated pieces and pastes from real fruit. We’re excited about the prospects this offers in terms of building entirely new fruit concepts and applications based on Welch’s amazing Concord Grape.”