Nektium expands distribution network in Europe and Japan to “accelerate global growth”

05 Jun 2023 --- Nektium announces three global distribution partnerships in Italy, France and Japan for its branded botanical extracts. The deals are part of the company’s strategy to grow international sales and follow its recent expansion from nutraceuticals to F&B. 

“With the rise in global demand for natural botanicals, we aim to make our ingredients available to a wider audience and amplify our reach. Expanding our distribution network enables us to work alongside experts in different markets to grow our business,” Bruno Berheide, commercial and partnerships director at Nektium, tells NutritionInsight. 

“We’re working to accelerate global growth based on a strong product development program. We will be strengthening our existing portfolio of botanical extracts and working to increase market share together with our commercial partners.” 

Nektium’s products will be distributed by food ingredient and nutraceutical distribution specialist Deimos to Italy and San Marino.

After a ten-year partnership, plant extract specialist Becarre Natural will be Nektium’s exclusive distributor in France, Belgium and Luxembourg. 

Supplement company Ryusendo has signed a Japanese distribution agreement for Nektium’s Rhodiolife to conduct proprietary work and scientific research into the product’s benefits. 

Botanical extracts have moved beyond the nutraceutical sector, explains Berheide.Partnership developments 
Berheide explains that for new distribution partnerships, Nektium analyzes the target market to assess whether the distributors are a good fit for our portfolio and ambitions. 

“We consider their requirements and ideas around how to approach the market with our ingredients. We also make decisions based on whether the business ethics of both organizations are aligned.” 

“Sustainability is the foundation for our products. We work hard to integrate sustainable practices into every aspect of our business and support our partners to do so too.”

The company Deimos is an experienced partner for nutraceuticals and food ingredients continues Berheide. “Italy is hugely important for Nektium as it’s the biggest market for nutraceuticals in Europe based on spending per capita.”

“We’ve been working with Becarre Natural for a decade and have formalized our partnership. It’s a distributor with exceptional technical expertise specializing in standardized plant extracts with proven efficacy.”

The company Ryusendo, in Japan, combines technical expertise with a strong footprint in the supplement market in their region, adds Berheide.

Growing market for botanicals 
Botanical extracts have moved beyond the nutraceutical sector, notes Berheide. As Nektium has moved into the F&B sector, its ingredients can be used in various applications, including sports and energy drinks, dairy products, gummies and cereal bars. 

“The formats used to deliver functional ingredients are becoming more and more versatile, with major brands harnessing the growing consumer demand for natural health benefits in food products.”

“Integrating botanical extracts into food and drink can create challenges around ingredient interactions, so it does require significant knowledge of phytochemistry and food science.” 

Nektium has an application laboratory to work with customers on different food and beverage applications. 

Berheide adds that in some regions, “the business potential for ingredients significantly increases if they are backed by scientific evidence, allowing for the ingredient to be registered with claims.”

Therefore, Nektium will cooperate with Ryusendo in Japan to carry out proprietary work, including specific scientific studies into the benefits of Rhodiolife.

By Jolanda van Hal