Cargill is highlighting its functional systems and application expertise as confectionery manufacturers look to balance changing consumer expectations with product quality, production efficiency and cost pressures.
The ingredients specialist presented its latest capabilities at Foodist Istanbul 2026, held at the Tüyap Fair and Congress Center from 1-4 September, where it met with manufacturers to discuss product development and reformulation.
For confectionery producers, challenges such as sugar reduction, clean-label formulation, nutritional enrichment and cost optimisation increasingly need to be addressed alongside taste, texture, mouthfeel, stability and shelf life.
Cargill said its functional systems approach combines ingredients, application knowledge and technical expertise into solutions tailored to individual products and production processes.
Addressing formulation demands
Rather than approaching ingredients individually, Cargill’s functional systems combine different components to achieve specific performance objectives.
The company said this can help manufacturers improve consistency, flexibility and efficiency while addressing sensory experience, texture, stability, label-friendly formulations and production performance.
At Foodist Istanbul, Cargill also engaged directly with chocolate and confectionery manufacturers to discuss solutions aimed at evolving consumer preferences, quality expectations and production requirements.
Through its industrial chocolate portfolio and application capabilities, the company said it is supporting manufacturers in developing products aligned with market trends while maintaining consistent performance.
Supporting faster product development
Cargill is also emphasising co-development as manufacturers seek to shorten development cycles and bring new concepts to market more efficiently.
Its INFUSE Application Center in Orhangazi, Bursa, enables customers to evaluate ingredient performance and test formulations under conditions designed to simulate industrial production before commercialisation.
Cem Beysel, Cargill Food META Functional Systems and Strategy Senior Director, said close collaboration with manufacturers allows the company to evaluate formulation options, test concepts and develop solutions aligned with specific product, production and commercial objectives.
Cargill has more than 40 years of experience in functional systems and combines this expertise with a broad ingredient portfolio and application knowledge. Within confectionery, the company positions this approach as a way to help manufacturers respond to increasingly complex formulation requirements across texture, nutrition, cost and shelf life.
