## What would Marubeni do in the world of ONE PIECE? #6
Aiming to be the world’s top expert on functional food ingredients

Ad from the Voyage Phase (theme: "What would Marubeni do in the world of One Piece?") of the new Marubeni/One Piece ad series

Spices and seasonings are “brilliant supporting actors” capable of highlighting the charms of foodstuff. Royal Euroma B.V., a Dutch company, which manufactures these items from carefully selected ingredients, has been contributing to the richness of European cuisines since its inception in 1899.

Marubeni invested in Euroma in 2022 with the intention of acquiring full ownership of the company down the road. Among many business areas that Marubeni covers is life science, which deals with a line of products supporting people’s everyday lives, such as food, cosmetics, and healthcare. Spices and seasonings, which are categorized as functional food ingredients, are part of the company’s life-science business. The world today has become more health conscious, and more people are using herbs and spices to add flavor to their meals while cutting down on sodium. Also regarded as a solution to social challenges like population growth and the aging of society, demand for functional food ingredients continues to grow.

Utilizing its high-quality herbs and spices, Euroma’s wide-ranging product portfolio is made up of more than 2,000 items including powdered food, such as seasonings whose added values have been further enhanced by the company’s sophisticated processing technology, as well as liquid products like dressings and sauces. The greatest strength of Euroma, which is committed to adding flavor to people’s lives, lies in its ability to give shape to its customers’ ideas for new products by developing sophisticated formulations, making the most of its product portfolio. The formulations are turned into food ingredients, which either enrich various sorts of food or add functionality.. A good example of this are food ingredients tailored for vegan foods—a promising market, which Euroma identifies as one of its key focuses. Plant-based meat, which is popular among Gen Z, would retain the distinct taste and smell of soybeans, if it were not for a creative solution that can subdue them and instead add a tasty “meat” flavor. Having embarked on research in collaboration with a food company, Euroma is currently developing seasonings that can enhance the deliciousness of meat alternatives.

Because of its innovative R&D, advanced technologies for manufacturing and quality control as well as sound, trusting relationships with its customers, Euroma is expected to become the foundation of Marubeni’s functional-food-ingredients business going forward.

Leveraging its global network, Marubeni plans to bring Euroma, which boasts the third largest sales in Europe, to the international business arena. “We want to grow together while supporting Euroma,” says Kenta Azuma, a member of the Euroma team at Marubeni’s Chemicals Department III.

As part of a long-term vision, Marubeni intends to explore new areas, such as dietary supplements, sweeteners, or beverages. “Beyond spices and seasonings, our goal is to become the world’s top expert on functional food ingredients,” says Saran Ueda, who is also part of the Euroma team. She says that the two companies have already started discussions about what they can achieve though their collaborations.

### Disseminating the trend of “Delicious, Reliable, and Safe” around the globe

Sourcing its ingredients from many parts of the world, Euroma has proactively committed itself, from early on, to helping improve sustainability of the supply chain and promote economic growth of producing countries. The company is one of the founding members of the Sustainable Spices Initiative (SSI), which was established in 2012 by bringing together an international group of companies that make spices, seasonings, or food products. Euroma has recently set a self-determined goal in terms of sourcing the three key ingredients that are critical for their products, making it a companywide effort: By 2025, more than 25 percent of the ingredients sourced by the company will be those with sustainable certifications.

“I feel privileged to be engaged in the work that helps create solutions to the fundamental challenges that human beings must confront, such as food shortages, various problems caused by the world’s population growth, and the need for a stable food supply,” says Yuya Hikosaka, who is working together in the team with Azuma and Ueda. The ultimate goal of their team is to help transform Euroma into the trend-setting leader in a world where social climate, trends, or people’s food preferences are constantly and exponentially changing. “Together with Euroma, we can draw various blueprints for our future,” Azuma says. “With a focus on functional food ingredients, we will continue to help ensure that people can enjoy safe and reliable foods.”