A MANILA-BASED manufacturer of wellness products is planning to tap the abundant mango supply in Cebu as a raw ingredient in its “nutrimix products.”
Maria Aurora M. Zanoria, exclusive distributor in Cebu of Nutribiz International Inc., said the company is talking with local mango farmers in Cebu to become the firm’s suppliers.
NutriBiz International Inc., which has a manufacturing plant in Manila, produces wellness food supplements like juice mix, coffee, and concentrated Guyabano juice.
“We have been linking with farmers in the country to supply us with fruits and other raw materials that we need for our products like guyabano (soursop) fruit that is now very popular for it’s cancer-fighting properties. We have farmer suppliers in Luzon area. Similarly, we want that same arrangement here in Cebu for mango,” Zanoria said.
21 FRUIT DRINKS
Nutribiz produces the Nutri21 juice drink, which is a mixture of 21 different fruits sourced in the country.
“We have mango, banana, buko, malungay (moringa), pineapple, calamansi, tomato, carrots, aloe vera, mangosteen and dalandan that we source across the country and some imported fruits like Acai berry, apple and Goji, which are all known for their healthy properties,” she said.
Zanoria said that their products are slowly gaining adherents in the country especially that many Filipinos are now into healthy lifestyles.
At present, the company, which was founded in 2011 has partnered with small farmers in Luzon by providing fund assistance to gubayano fruit farmers, a partnership model which the company will duplicate in Cebu specifically in Bogo City and Medellin town. /Reporter Aileen Garcia-Yap