Dubai – Confectionery company Embaré is betting on cupuassu-, graviola- and pitanga-flavoured caramel to appeal to the tastes of foreigners. The Brazilian Delights export-only product line is being launched this year. The places selected for the product to debut are the ISM fair, held in January in Germany, and Gulfood, taking place this week in Dubai.
The two events were picked by Embaré because they provide opportunities for the product to be introduced to Europe and the United States, at the German show, and to the Middle East and Asia, at the fair in Dubai.
Embaré export analyst Felipe Bernardes Antunessaid the Brazilian Delights caramels will be sold at supermarkets in 200-gram boxes, and at duty free shops e and candy stores in 150-gram boxes, in a limited edition, and in small cloth bags. The boxes in both sizes are decorated with Indian motifs.
Out of the six flavours in the new line, three are known to the public: papaya, mango and assai. The other three are little known outside Brazil: cupuassu, graviola and pitanga. “When customers try the mango caramel, they will associate it with the flavour they already know. When they try the cupuassu, they will be trying a fruit they haven’t eaten yet, and yet they will know this is what cupuassu tastes like,” said Antunes.
According to him, the new line has been developed because foreigners wanted typically Brazilian products. The Gulfood was one of the fairs chosen for the launch because it is attended by large numbers of visitors from several different regions. “It is a great fair for making contact and doing new business. Right now it is one of the most important,” said Antunes. The Brazilian pavilion at Gulfood features 77 companies and is organized by the Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil) and by the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce. The fair opened last Sunday and will continue until next Thursday (27th).
The demand for hard candy, sweets and caramels with typical billion flavours had been detected by the Brazilian Cocoa and Confectionery Manufacturers Association (Abicab) at past editions of Gulfood, ISM, and the Sweet & Snacks fair, held in the United States.
Embaré has been exporting to the Arab countries since 1995, when it first shipped a batch to Dubai. Presently, exports make up 30% of the company’s revenues. Of these, sales to Middle East and North Africa country account for 75. In these regions, the Belo Horizonte-based company ships to Sudan, Egypt, Yemen, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Jordan.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
