SWEET success
Based on its strong technical and scientific expertise, Metco has been able to provide the market with innovative products that best meet customers’ needs.
Could you tell us about the sweetener industry, both in Mexico and internationally?
From 2018-2021, the sweetener market grew significantly—by 35.1%. During the pandemic, people sought to change their consumption habits and look for alternatives to the products they have always consumed. Our motto is “a sweetener for every lifestyle.” We aim to ensure that all our products fulfill that promise. For example, we have Piloncillo, a typical Mexican product for people who wish to continue consuming sugar and do not need to reduce calories. We also have a product called Azúcar BC, a sugar-based product the first that our company launched years ago that helps to reduce the calorie intake. There are also products that are completely calorie free, such as our brand Svetia. It is our leading brand and can be found in all coffee shops and supermarkets. Within the sweetener market, we are the second-largest company in Mexico with nearly 36% market share. This market has many different segments. The stevia sector has grown the most, at about 52% growth in the last 10 years. Here, we are market leaders in Mexico. Our brands are leading in the most important segments.
How did you position yourself at the top of the market?
Innovation, one of our core values, is something we constantly promote in various ways. In 2021, we were recognized by the label Great Culture to Innovate as the number-two company with under 500 employees, and that reinforces how our culture of innovation is crucial in continuing to come up with new ideas. Internally, we have a policy called the Innovation Program that encourages anyone from any area of the company to put forward an idea to improve anything. In this way, people feel committed to the company and know they are listened to. Of our sales, 5% always goes to research and development in order to continue generating new ideas and keep up with trends. We also form partnerships with institutions such as universities and high-level scientific companies.
As a Mexican company, what challenges do you face in competition with other international companies?
For us, the biggest challenge is what we offer through our products. Our success is the result of our innovation. We offer high-quality, innovative, and healthy products. We have also always been committed to taste. It is a promise of quality that we have always had. We work on marketing and eye-catching, attention-grabbing campaigns; however, taste is the most important. This is important to work on, given that many people have a sensitive palate when it comes to sweeteners. In 2021, we brought out a new, concentrated ingredient that we extracted from sugarcane called Concaña. It is made such that it allows us to reduce up to 30% of the sugar from the original product all while retaining the taste of sugar, with a sweetening power of up to 20 times higher. Our goal is to improve the formulas of our products. We have an entire area based on biotechnology, where we manufacture our own stevia. We have been running a plan for several years, called Stevia 180, by which we buy the stevia plant from farmers in Mexico, and we process it in order to obtain the substance that makes stevia sweet, the steviol glycosides. We have discovered that we can make many ingredients, such as flavorings and colorings, and we continue to explore any other botanical extractions.
What other products are in the works currently?
We have around 27 products in our portfolio that we are reviewing for viability. Thanks to the Innovation Program, the organization is brimming with ideas. Currently, those that are advanced are a good variety of calorie-reducing solutions that do not necessarily provide sweetness but are key ingredients that can help reformulate other products. Our vision is to increase the business portfolio that can, in turn, help us help the industry and bring better solutions.