At the launch event held in Istanbul through the collaboration between Bunge and ŞMS Kopuz, a next-generation specialty fat portfolio for the bakery and confectionery industries was introduced. ŞMS Kopuz Chairman Şemsi Kopuz stated that they are working toward increasing Türkiye’s $3.4 billion snack and confectionery exports to $10 billion in the 2030s.

Ufuk Doğan
Bunge Gıda Ülke Müdürü

ŞMS Kopuz, one of Türkiye’s largest suppliers of industrial raw materials and dry food products, introduced its next-generation specialty fat portfolio to industry professionals. At the launch event held in Istanbul, the company unveiled FlexiBetter, CBT Gold, the Prestine series, and shea-based specialty fat solutions developed for the bakery and confectionery industries. It was stated that more than 20 specialty fat solutions have been introduced to the Turkish market over the past three years as part of the collaboration between Bunge and ŞMS Kopuz, reaching more than 70 active customers.

During the launch, it was emphasized that the new product portfolio offers not only performance and cost advantages, but also significant benefits in terms of supply security. It was noted that the pandemic, wars, and logistics disruptions linked to the Red Sea and the Suez Canal over the past five years have revealed how fragile global food supply chains can be.

It was also stated that Bunge and ŞMS Kopuz aim to reduce supply risks for manufacturers through their capability to source products of the same quality and standards from Malaysia, the Netherlands, China, Indonesia, and various production centers. Thanks to this multi-origin structure, the Turkish food industry is expected to become more resilient and competitive against global fluctuations.

New alternatives for the bakery and confectionery industries

One of the standout products introduced at the launch was FlexiBetter, presented as an innovative alternative to milk fat for laminated dough products such as croissants, puff pastry, and cookies.

Positioned within the confectionery category, CBT Gold aims to deliver flavor, texture, and production efficiency together in chocolate-like products.

The Prestine series was developed for filling fats. The series addresses a wide range of applications, from pralines and wafers to hazelnut-based fillings and aerated products.

At the event, shea-based solutions also stood out among the alternatives to cocoa butter.

“Türkiye is among the world’s top five countries in this field”

In his remarks, ŞMS Kopuz Chairman Şemsi Kopuz stated that ŞMS Kopuz brings together Bunge’s more than 200 years of global expertise and innovation power with Turkish industrialists. Kopuz said that changing consumer habits have made the snack and confectionery sector one of the world’s fastest-growing strategic industries.

Noting that Türkiye ranks among the world’s top five countries in this field with an export volume of $3.4 billion, Kopuz stressed that this success should be taken even further. “The collaboration between Bunge and ŞMS Kopuz not only enables the delivery of more accessible and higher-quality products to consumers in Türkiye, but also opens new doors for exporters. Through this structure, we contribute to offering consumers in Türkiye more accessible and better-quality products, while also supporting our exporters in expanding more competitively into markets ranging from the Americas and Latin America to Africa and other regions. Our goal is to increase the sector’s $3.4 billion export volume to $10 billion in the 2030s. We will continue on our path with this determination and commitment,” he said.

ŞMS Kopuz Chairman Şemsi Kopuz

“The right product, the right positioning, the right technical support”

ŞMS Kopuz Executive Board Member and CEO Burak Kopuz also stated that the company’s core approach is to bring new food technologies and solutions from around the world to the Turkish market in the most effective way. Emphasizing that the three-year collaboration with Bunge has gained strong momentum, Kopuz noted that products developed in line with the needs of manufacturers in Türkiye have found a positive response in the industry.

Burak Kopuz said: “Through our activities, we aim to bring globally leading food solutions to Türkiye. We seek to offer these solutions to industrial manufacturers through innovative approaches that create competitive advantages. We achieve this with the right product, the right positioning, and the right technical support.”

ŞMS Kopuz Chairman Şemsi Kopuz and ŞMS Kopuz Executive Board Member and CEO Burak Kopuz

The launch event held in Istanbul was hosted by ŞMS Kopuz Chairman Şemsi Kopuz and ŞMS Kopuz Executive Board Member and CEO Burak Kopuz. Among the attendees were Bunge Regional Commercial Lead Mesut Balık, Bunge Asia Food Solutions General Commercial Lead Katherine Huang, Bunge Country Manager for Food Ufuk Doğan, leading industry representatives from Türkiye and abroad, as well as members of the press.