In response to robust consumer demand for label-friendly ingredients, Cargill has expanded its processing capabilities of its sweetener plant in Cikande/Indonesia to “more than double” the company’s production capacity for organic, non-GMO tapioca syrup. Sourced from the cassava plant, tapioca syrup is widely used in food products such as ice cream, snack bars and confectionery products like hard candies, caramels, marshmallows and gummies. The USD 2.4 m investment in the Cikande sweetener facility is part of ongoing efforts by Cargill to enhance its ingredient portfolio and production capabilities to better support customers in Asia.

Cargill reveals that its tapioca plant upgrades – which include additional filling stations, blending and storage tanks as well as warehouse improvements – will enable it to achieve its annual tapioca syrup production volume target of 12,000 t by 2024. The plant’s proximity to major tapioca-growing regions in Asia and the added production capacity is expected to help meet demand within the rapidly growing North American and Asian clean-label sweetener markets.

Next to its sweetener syrup, tapioca is also used to create thickening agents. While ingredients like modified starches have fallen out of favour, other newer – but still familiar – plant-sourced starches have gained traction. Among this class of upstarts, data from Innova Market Insights reveal that tapioca starch is the fastest-growing.