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Exporting natural ingredients

Take advantage of these benefits

  • Assistance in exporting natural ingredients to Europe

  • Preparation for the demands of the European market

  • Lasting business contacts thanks to targeted matchmaking

Foods, cosmetics, pharmaceutics

Export opportunities for natural ingredients

For many years, the demand for natural ingredients has been steadily growing on the European market – and this trend is also set to continue into the future. Organic foods have long since ceased to be niche products and have now captured the mass market. In addition, smart-thinking companies in the food industry are increasingly replacing artificial additives with natural ingredients.

But it is not only in the food sector that there is a need for natural ingredients: Many companies in the pharmaceutics and cosmetics industries are also on the lookout for more and more new suppliers of natural ingredients.

So, if you are a supplier of natural ingredients for foods, cosmetics and pharmaceutics, and if you also have organic, ISO standards, HACCP, IFS, BRC or Fairtrade certification, then IPD can assist you in entering the European market.

For European companies, corporate social responsibility and/or sustainability in global supply chains have an increasingly central role to play in addition to certification. In this aspect too, IPD will support you with the appropriate training.

Natural ingredients that are particularly sought after in Europe

  • Essential oils: e.g. of chamomile, patchouli, artemisia, and citrus
  • Extracts: e.g. vanilla, pepper, cinnamon, ginger, various fruits
  • Fatty oils: e.g. shea butter, sacha inchi oil, avocado oil, moringa oil, apricot kernel oil as well as saturated fats from nuts (e.g. Brazil nuts, walnuts)
  • Pulses: e.g. kidney and pinto beans, peas, white beans
  • Coffee and cocoa: e.g. specialty coffee and cocoa (incl. fine flavour cocoa), cocoa derivatives, cocoa butter and cocoa nibs
  • Coconut products: e.g. coconut sugar, coconut water, coconut oil, coconut flakes and rasps
  • Herbs and spices: e.g. basil, thyme, hibiscus, ginger, chamomile, turmeric, nutmeg, cloves, peppermint, senna, vanilla or cinnamon as well as medicinal and aromatic plants
  • Natural colourings: e.g. amaranth, annatto, butterfly pea flower
  • Nuts: e.g. walnuts, almonds, pistachios, peanuts
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Do you offer natural ingredients for foods, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals? 

We are always looking for exciting products. This also applies to products that we do not have on the list yet.

  • Seeds and grains: e.g. quinoa, amaranth, chia, oil seeds, specialty rice
  • Sweeteners: e.g. coconut flower sugar, panela, yacon syrup, date syrup, honey, kithul
  • Tea: e.g. black and green tea, tea blends, guayusa, dried citrus peels
  • Processed fruit and vegetables: e.g. (sun-)dried, freeze-dried, deep-frozen/individual quick frozen (IQF), pulps, concentrates, preserves
  • Thickening and gelling agents: e.g. carob seeds and derivatives, rice starch

Tailor-made matchmaking

We network you with European importers at these trade fairs

Anuga event

Anuga

Food & beverage

With more than 70,000 visitors from 169 countries and more than 4,600 exhibitors from 98 nations, Anuga is the world's leading trade fair for food and beverages. 

Biofach fair

Biofach

Organic products

BIOFACH is the world's leading trade fair for organic food. Its combination with the organic cosmetics trade fair VIVANESS provides excellent networking opportunities.

Fi Europe

Fi Europe

Food ingredients

Fi Europe is the world’s largest gathering of F&B ingredient buyers and suppliers. Over 1,200 exhibitors from 135 countries are expected to attend the event in 2022.

incosmetics event

in-cosmetics

Personal care

In-cosmetics global welcomes 95% of the world's top suppliers of personal care ingredients – an excellent opportunity to discover the latest trends and solutions.

SIAL event

SIAL

Food business

SIAL is the biggest one-stop shop in the food industry. Every two years, producers, importers and retailers from all around the world meet in Paris for five days of inspiration and exchange.

Discover the European market

Get in touch with us!

We provide you with details about the IPD evaluation process and our admission criteria.

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Our partner countries for natural ingredients

The European market is waiting for your products

The demand in Europe for natural ingredients is higher than ever before. Consumers pay increasing attention to products whose ingredients are the most natural. Therefore, we are looking for suppliers of high-quality ingredients in the partner countries listed here. 

Success Stories

Ecuador

Strong demand for cocoa

Delivering to Europe ‘without detours’ via large trading companies.

Sri Lanka

Innovative products with market potential

Partnership at eye level enables innovation. It gets even better when high-quality raw materials are used.

Market reports "Natural ingredients"
Product Fact Sheet: Medicinal and aromatic plants

Medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) are botanical raw materials, also known as herbal drugs, that are primarily used for therapeutic, aromatic and…

Product Fact Sheet: Saffron

Saffron has accompanied all civilizations, whether for its culinary role, for its quality of dye or its ancestral virtues rooted to folk medicine.…

As a new product, competition for coconut water is fairly low on the German market. As such, it offers great potential for German beverage…

Albeit a general decline in volume, Germany remains one of the leaders in per capita consumption of fruit juices in the world. Especially the…

Dates are more and more popular in Germany due to their healthy aspects. They are used as substitutes for other snacks. Organic dates account for a…

Growth in the natural products industry has led to great interest in natural ingredients. While there is no legal definition of “natural” when it…

Exporting guayusa to Europe

The European market is showing growing demand for guayusa products. Growth is driven by increasing demand for high-quality natural ingredients and…

Product Fact Sheet: Exporting kithul from Sri Lanka to Europe

Kithul syrup and flour are exotic products for the European market. Most current consumers of kithul products in Europe originate from Sri Lanka or…

German demand for essential oils is strong; and increasing competition for these natural ingredients from emerging markets stimulates German importers…

Increasing competition for essential oils from emerging markets stimulates German importers to search for new sources. They consider Nepal as a…

L’huile d’argan, ou argane, est une huile végétale extraite des amandons contenus dans les fruits de l’arganier (Argania spinosa L.). Cet arbre de la…

Product Fact Sheet: Fresh herbs in Germany

resh herbs are gaining popularity as consumers are becoming more interested in natural, healthier products and culinary experiences. Herb preferences…

European demand for cardamom is slowly but steadily growing. Important European markets for cardamom are the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany…

The European market currently provides excellent opportunities for trading in cinnamon, due to continued rises in import levels and favourable prices.…

Product Fact Sheet: Value-added spices and herbs

The European market for value-added spices and herbs directly sourced in developing countries, such as crushed or mixed, is growing, but competition…

Product Fact Sheet: Medicinal and aromatic plants from Morocco

Around 30,000 plant species have medicinal and aromatic uses and between 60-90% of those in use around the world are wild collected. The number of…

Product Fact Sheet: Pepper in Europe

The popularity of pepper as the most used spice in the world contributes to the stable demand for black pepper on the European market. Opportunities…

The increasing demand for sustainably produced spices, the growing interest in the health benefits of spices and in international ethnic cuisines are…

Product Fact Sheet: Dried ginger

Europe is an interesting and growing market for exporters of dried ginger. The demand is expected to grow in the coming years and prices are slowly…

The popularity of international cuisine and spicy food contributes to the increasing demand for dried chillies on the European market. Veganism has…

Product Fact Sheet: Turmeric

The European market is promising for turmeric suppliers from developing countries. Turmeric has many health benefits that meet the needs of European…

Product Fact Sheet: Plant proteins for health products

The European market for protein is growing to support consumers who wish to lead active lifestyles. Demand for plant-based protein is showing even…

Product Fact Sheet: Exporting moringa to Europe

Dried Moringa oleifera powder is mainly used in nutritional supplements in the European health products sector. Health product companies are looking…

Product Fact Sheet: Exporting Baobab to Europe

The European market for baobab is divided into three segments: Health products, foods, and personal care products. Each segment has different channels…

Product Fact Sheet: Edible nuts and dried fruits in Europe

The European Union is the largest market for edible nuts in the world, representing more than 40% of the total world imports. Import volumes are…

Product Fact Sheet: Fruit juices in Europe

Europe is the largest market for fruit juices in the world, representing 55% of the total world imports. The import continues to grow, in spite of the…

Product Fact Sheet: Superfruit juices in Europe

The European Union is the world’s largest market for superfruit juices, with an estimated share of more than 40% of global imports. The Netherlands is…

In the long term, the European market for canned fruits and vegetables is expected to grow around 1-2% per year. A major trend in the market is the…

Product Fact Sheet: Frozen fruit and vegetables

In the long term, the European market for frozen vegetables is expected to show stable growth of 1-3% annually. This growth is likely to be driven by…

Europe is the world’s largest importer of desiccated coconut, accounting for more than 30% of global imports. Desiccated coconut is a traditional and…

Product Fact Sheet: Dried tropical fruit in Europe

In the medium to long term, the European market for dried tropical fruit is expected to show stable growth of 5-6% in volume annually. This growth is…

Product Fact Sheet: Frozen berries in Europe

In the long term, the European market for frozen berries is expected to show stable growth of around 4-5% annually. This growth is likely to be driven…

Product Fact Sheet: Mango purée in Europe

In the long term, the European market for mango puree is expected to show stable growth. This growth is likely to be driven by changes in the…

Product Fact Sheet: Quinoa in Europe

Europe has become the world’s largest importing region of quinoa. With quinoa becoming a more common product, its growth now lies in product…

In the long term, the European market for cashew nuts is expected to show stable growth. Germany, the Netherlands, United Kingdom, France, Italy and…

Product Fact Sheet: Dried beans

The biggest markets for common dry beans in Europe include Italy and the United Kingdom, traditional consumer groups and the dominant bean canning…

Product Fact Sheet: Dried lentils

Lentils are a part of an ethnic and traditional cuisine. However, there are growth opportunities for lentils throughout Europe. This is because of…

Product Fact Sheet: Teff in Europe

Teff is a relatively niche product in the European market, but it has serious potential in special bakery and health food segments. Its nutritional…

Product Fact Sheet: Specialty cocoa

The increased focus on and importance of sustainable and ethical trade in Europe, combined with a growing consumer demand for premium and single…

Product Fact Sheet: Sugar alternatives under review

Sugar consumption is decreasing in Europe. Consumers are choosing healthier, low-sugar diets. Because of this, food processors are reformulating their…

Product Fact Sheet: What is the demand for natural ingredients for cosmetics on the European market?

The European cosmetics market presents good opportunities for exporters of natural ingredients from developing countries. Demand for natural…

Product Fact Sheet: What requirements must spices and herbs comply with to be allowed on the European market?

All foods sold in Europe must be safe for consumption. Additives must be approved, harmful contaminants are banned and information on food packaging…

Product Fact Sheet: The European market for groundnuts

In the long term, the European market for groundnuts is expected to show stable growth. Above-average growth is expected for in-shell peanuts and…

The growing importance in Europe of marketing stories and the increasing use of natural ingredients lead to opportunities for fruit seed oils,…

Although the manufacturing of semi-finished cocoa products is interesting from the perspective of developing countries, the European market for this…

The demand for dates in Europe is increasing. Dates are particularly popular for their sweetness, as a natural source of energy, as a sugar…

The demand for essential oils on the European cosmetics market is growing. Essential oils are increasingly being used in personal care products as…

Show all market reports

Guides for export success

We want you to be successful on the European market right from the start. That's why we bundle our know-how into helpful guides that you can download here free of charge. Avoid typical mistakes and benefit from the expertise of the IPD professionals. 

This guide is a resource to help you and your company better understand the topic of “traceability”.

Sound social and environmental performance has become an integral part of international trade and exports to the…

This guide is a resource to help you and your company better understand the topic of “EU Import Requirements” regarding…

This guide gives basic information for companies that want to implement a Food Safety Management Systems (FSMS).

This guide is a resource to help companies better understand the topic of “HACCP”, an essential tool to avoid food…

This guide is a resource to help you and your company better understand the topic of “Import Requirements” regarding…

This guide is a resource to help you and your company to better understand the different options of storing goods in…

Find out how manufacturers of food products in developing economies can target the European retail market with private…

This Guideline explains the principles of organic farming methods and leads you step by step through the organic…

This guide is intended to help SMEs successfully participate in foreign trade fairs.

This guide is a resource to help you and your company better understand the topic of sustainability reporting. Read more…

This guide provides answers to questions about sustainability standards and is meant as a first orientation for export…

What makes a good website? This guide gives an overview of what you have to consider technically, in terms of content…

Your contact
[Translate to Englisch:]

Charlotte Braquet

Expert Sourcing + Markets

Natural ingredients (Egypt, Madagascar, Peru)

María Paula Gómez

Expert Sourcing + Markets

Natural ingredients (Colombia, Ecuador, South Africa)

[Translate to Englisch:]

Caroline Moraza

Expert Sourcing + Markets

Natural ingredients (Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, Tunisia, Ukraine)
Fresh Produce (Ukraine)

[Translate to Englisch:]

Nicole Schauer

Expert Sourcing + Markets
Natural ingredients (Ethiopia, Ghana, Tanzania)

Angie Martinez

Expert Sourcing + Markets

Natural Ingredients (Cambodia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka)

[Translate to Englisch:]

Marius Thümmrich

Expert Sourcing + Markets

Sustainable tourism (Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan)

Natural ingredients (Uzbekistan)

Dorra Zairi

Expert Sourcing + Markets

Natural ingredients (Brazil, Morocco)

Fresh produce (Egypt, Morocco)