Welch’s, America’s largest grape juice brand, and Taura Natural Ingredients have forged a partnership to bring Welch’s Concord Grape Juice and Purée to manufacturers of products such as nutrition bars, confectionery, bakery products and breakfast cereals. Marketed as FruitWorx, the new inclusions will contain Concord Grapes from Welch’s range of premium juices.
 
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 unique process of concentrating the taste, texture and natural goodness of fruit into pieces, flakes and pastes for use in a wide range of exciting formats — either alone or in combination with other fruits, and blended with grains including ancient grains such as chia.
 
FruitWorxpieces and pastes will be sold exclusively through both companies, enabling strong relationships already established to continue, while simultaneously expanding the appeal of the grape further afield. Initially, FruitWorxwill 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 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 FruitWorxopens up a world of new opportunities with unlimited potential, according to the companies. Concepts now available include Welch’s Concord Grape Juice and Purée pieces enrobed in chocolate, or combined with ancient grains for nutritious breakfast cereals. FruitWorxpieces and pastes, with their natural fruit sugars, are also applicable for snack bars.
 
Wayne D. Lutomski, vice president of international & global ingredients for Welch’s, said, “Welch’s mission is to bring the great taste of the Concord Grape to more places and to more people. 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.”
 
Richard Croad, COO and president of Taura North America, added, “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 FruitWorxinclusions in their own products. 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.”
 
For more information: www.tauraURC.com ; www.welchs.com