Crunchy cereals in fruit chocolate
27 May 2021
ISM Top Innovation 3rd Place: KARA Fruit Flavour
Sylvie Burczak, Export Manager at François Doucet
As the third winner, ISM would like to present François Doucet from France today with their winning product KARA fruit flavour. The fair organisers spoke to Sylvie Burczak, responsible export manager at the company about the significance of the award and the DNA of François Doucet.
You are one of the ISM 2021 Top Innovations this year. What does this award mean to you and your company?
Yes, we are one of the ISM 2021 Top Innovation and we are very proud of our 3rd place. This is the recognition of our know-how and values. For 50 years, our teams have been perpetuating and improving the traditional techniques used in artisanal confectionery and chocolate-making.
This award also confirms our strategy to work only with natural ingredient and to completely remove dyes in our confectionery.
We warmly thank all of our employees, who make our company the excellence of confectionery.
What role do product innovations play in your company and what are your expectations of a new product?
Innovation is the DNA of our company. We invest every day in research and development (R&D) and always look for new raw materials, new fruits, new flavors, and new taste experience to achieve the best confectionery.
Our obsession is to use quality raw materials with a fully identified origin and cultivation location:
- 100% of our almonds and hazelnuts come from France (conventional farming)
- 75% of the fruits we use come from Provence (South of France)
- 100% of our chocolate is fair-trade
Each year, we create new confectioneries, with new raw material, new ingredient, we are constantly looking for more naturality to meet the requirements of our customers.
What do you think makes your winning product so special?
We combined mankind’s heritage, know -how and innovation: a crispy and crunchy gluten free cereal, coated in fair-trade white chocolate and natural fruit powder (passion fruit, lime, raspberry, and banana) and without artificial flavors.
This product reflects our daily work of continuous improvement in R&D and in particular with regard to the use of natural dyes, which are all the more difficult to measure at the level of the recipe, and to master in terms of aging! All this while responding to a strong demand from the gluten-free market. So this is a double feat!
KARA Fruit Flavour of François Doucet
How important is ISM for you as a business platform for confectionery and snacks in general, but also with regard to the presentation of new products?
ISM is a fantastic platform to launch and promote our brand, products and create networks.
All world leaders are present. We can discover the latest trends and topics and our competitors activities. ISM is a trendsetter and source of ideas for the sweets world.
We can meet our customers from all over the world and find new prospects. ISM is the best way to taste and test our new confectioneries. So ISM is the place to be.