Dubai – The cold Ubá mango pulp from Minas Gerais is gaining followers in Gulfood. The product has just been globally launched in the food trade show, and Brazilian brand Tropicool has just opened a kiosk in the world’s largest shopping center, Dubai Mall, serving the mango and açaí pulp with health toppings in the United Arab Emirates, where Gulfood is running. Pictured above, CEO Rafael Vaz (L.), commercial director Marcelo Vaz (C) and partner director Maurício Esteves.
“Ubá mango has a 19-21% sweetness. It’s naturally more sweet than other varieties, as Tommy or Palmer mango, which ranges between 13-14%,” Tropicool CEO Rafael Vaz said. According to him, the product is a pure, natural, preservative-free fruit, so it’s subject to harvest issues. “But we want to keep it that way, the purest as it can be,” he said. The mango and açaí pulps are packed in Tetra Pak packages and maintained in room temperature, not frozen, which makes transport and storage easier.
Tropicool kiosk in Dubai Mall opened four days ago, starting the brand’s global project. “It’s a Brazilian tropical concept that has mango and açaí as its flagships, but we intend to launch other flavors such as cupuaçu and soursop. We have a partnership with SOS Amazônia non-profit organization, and 2% of our revenue returns to Amazonia. We’re very interested in sustainability,” he said. The pulps are served in paper cups, and the spoon are made of recyclable material.
For Brazil, the plan is launching the Tropicool brand in a big event next April in São Paulo. “The global launch was here in both Gulfood and Dubai Mall. These Brazil superfruits are healthy indulgence alternatives,” he said. The kiosk is at a new area of the mall, the Zabeel Extension, near the food court entrance. Prices range from AED 29-37 (USD 8-10).
Food technology company Global Fruit – which comprises Native Berries, Liv, Is and the most recent Tropicool – has a stand in the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil) pavilion in the show, which runs through next Thursday (20). The Minas Gerais-based company produces the pulps, Afrinvest company exports them, and they also have a partner company in the UAE.
Tropicool partner director Maurício Esteves said that the company has an aggressive expansion plan for the UAE and the region as a whole. “We want to conquer the UAE, opening new kiosks across the country and expand to the GCC neighbors, then we’ll launch in Brazil, the United States, Europe and Asia,” he said. GCC is an acronym for Gulf Cooperation Council.
Translated by Guilherme Miranda
