Peel as an asset

Pablo Britti, Oils, Scents and Peel Commercial Manager at San Miguel, describes the peel business and explains the opportunities offered by the market.

The processed products business is essential in the food world. San Miguel offers a wide variety of natural products for industries, which are derived from our citrus. These include peel, which is mainly used for making pectin.

Pectin has binding properties, and for this reason it is used to give consistency to jams, juices and other food. It is mainly found in lemons and limes, and secondly in oranges and apples.

San Miguel produces peel in its three points of origin, where it subsequently dries it to extract humidity, thus keeping the conditions of the product. Our customers extract the pectin from the peel and develop the applications according to the type of product they need.

Pablo Britti, Oils, Scents and Peel Commercial Manager at San Miguel, says: “Food consumption around the world increases around 5% or 6% per year, and so does the consumption of pectin. Our customers need to develop alternatives in order to supply that demand.”

As a customer-oriented company, we are constantly seeking to adapt our supply based on market progress and its new needs. Presently, we are producing a higher volume of lemons than oranges, but we have the potential to do even more from our different points of origin.

In the mid-term, we have the opportunity to enhance the vertical integration, adding value to the peel and pectin chain. The greatest challenge in this sense is to identify the point from which we can boost the synergy with our customers, which as strategic partners makes us evolve together in the industry.

Through the products that use our peel as raw material, we are present in millions of households around the world. Under this responsibility and proud to see our products in the daily lives of the families, we work every day to continue bringing nature to our products.