Multi-Trex Integrated Foods Plc, Nigeria-based cocoa processing company, has said its expansion drive will see the company export its products to West African countries and beyond in the near future.
The company disclosed this on Thursday at the presentation of Moor Instant Chocolate Powder, a chocolate-based cocoa beverage drink in the dry mix category.
Speaking to journalists at the company's factory at Magboro, Ogun State, where the product was unveiled, the Chief Executive Officer, Multi-Trex, Mr. Dimeji Owofemi, explained that Moor was wholly a Nigerian product by concept, origin, and production.
Highlighting some of the product's qualities, which he said, had been in the plans of the company since its inception, Owofemi said, among other things, Moor had the highest quantity of cocoa powder; 10 per cent. He added that it also contains sugar, skimmed milk powder, soy lecithin – all of which makes it very good for children.
According to him, the new chocolate drink, which is mainly targeted at children and the youth, can be consumed with hot or cold water.
Concerning the implication the new product will have on the economy, he said, "It is a diversification of our line of business. It is also an export product possibly. It is also a value addition to the industry ( Food & Beverage Industry) in which we operate." He added that it would also create jobs for Nigerians, which in turn will boost the economy.
Multi-Trex, which has been utilising the cocoa powder from its grinding plant to produce a series of cocoa-based products such as chocolate bars, had in September launched Frangada Chocolat Drink, a 100 per cent natural cocoa powder.
Owofemi said he expected Moor to quickly gain wide acceptance, just like Frangada, which had witnessed rapid growth in terms of market share.
This, he explained, was because not only did the company consider health benefits in designing their products, but also because health experts had continued to attest to the numerous health benefits of cocoa-based products.
