EHL Ingredients, a leading UK supplier of coconut to food manufacturers, bakers, dairy goods producers, wholesalers and caterers, has reported a 15% increase in sales of the superfood.
The company sources its coconut from Sri Lanka, Indonesia and the Philippines, and supplies it in the form of chips, toasted chips, coconut creamed squares and flakes, desiccated fine and medium, coconut shavings and coconut milk.
"We have stocked coconut as a food ingredient for many years and it has always been popular in the health food and natural ingredient sectors, but increasingly, we are seeing it appear within sweet and savoury foods on supermarket shelves," said EHL’s sales and marketing director Tasneem Backhouse. "Our customers in the free-from and conventional food manufacturing, bakery and dairy sectors are placing larger orders of coconut ingredients and we have received many new enquiries.
"Over the last 12 months we have witnessed uplift in sales of coconut ingredients, and we predict that this growth is set to continue and that demand will remain high. The reasons for this include: the increase in self-diagnosis of food allergies and intolerances; the popularity of free-from diets; and the increase in NPD in this sector with some coconut products becoming more mainstream and having a broader appeal in the marketplace.
"Plus it is a naturally sweet, tasty food ingredient and can enhance the flavour of many meals and desserts."