Cohen comes from a diverse background of chemistry and business with more than 25 years of experience in the food and ingredients marketplace. Prior to Gadot, Cohen was the CEO of Vitiva, providing natural solutions for oxidation, sweeteners, and botanical extracts. His experience also includes general manager of the food protection division and vice president of sales and marketing at Frutarom and the phosphates and salts for industrial applications at Haifa Chemicals. Cohen holds a combined MSC degree in Applied Chemistry and Business Management from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Health E-Insights: How would you describe Gadot Biochemical Industries?
Cohen: Gadot Biochemical is one of the leading global manufacturers of citrate-based ingredients and fortifying minerals and phosphates for the food, beverage and nutraceutical industries. Gadot has more than 50 years of experience delivering highly bioavailable products including tailor made solutions and soluble minerals.
Health E-Insights: What are your signature products?
Cohen: By far, bioavailable citrate minerals. Our focus is on citrate ingredients as carriers to provide the best possible way for minerals to be absorbed into the body. While producing energy our body diverts carbohydrates into calories and produces citric acid. Due to this fact, citrates are recognized as part of our body system and are the most suitable mineral vehicles to achieve absorption for humans. The company develops, produces, markets, and sells ingredients used in a wide range of foods, beverages, dietary supplements, and infant formulas.
Health E-Insights: How do you brand Gadot in the supplement and food and beverage industries?
Cohen: Again, it’s bioavailable minerals that are based on citrates and phosphates to provide high absorption. We are slowly building brand awareness in all target markets, especially with magnesium. Recently, nutrition doctors have come to understand the significance of magnesium in our daily diet and especially in sports diet. It is an essential nutrient existing in over 300 different bodily enzymes, aids metabolism and protein synthesis, and is valuable for supporting brain health and muscle recovery. Our citrate ingredients are organic, which is a key part of our corporate brand marketing. According to Dr. Paulus Weckerle, Germany-based author and nutrition expert, magnesium has its fingers in all processes of metabolism and an optimal supply of magnesium is the basic requirement for maximum efficiency.
Health E-Insights: You’re exhibiting in the IFT show so the food and beverage industry must be important to Gadot?
Cohen: Absolutely. We’re exhibiting at IFT because the food and beverage industry is our main market where we provide a wide range of solutions for companies manufacturing in the arena. We literally can provide tailor made ingredients and blends for each area of use. With that said, companies making functional food products in the dietary supplement field are also key customers for us.
Health E-Insights: As a global company, what parts of the world do you serve?
Cohen: Gadot serves multinational companies in over 75 countries as well as local manufacturers of food, beverage, dairy, and nutraceuticals.
Health E-Insights: Do you see any trends taking place as it pertains to the ingredients you offer?
Cohen: Primarily it’s a better understanding that organic ingredients provide healthier and quality products that go into a finished product. It’s a little-known fact that several countries including Finland for example, have socially banned other mineral forms and have started purchasing only citrate-based minerals. Gadot customers are seeking high-quality material and minerals that can be absorbed more easily within the body, and our organic citrate ingredients do make absorption easier. We see a high focus on calcium and magnesium citrate as well as applications for sports nutrition, bone health, infant nutrition, and nutrition for the elderly.
Health E-Insights: Is there an advantage to being based in Israel?
Cohen: Yes. We are a globally-based company but our production plant is situated in Israel. Being headquartered in Israel allows us to communicate with diverse worldwide cultures and we are constantly seeking strategic partners as well as merger and acquisition possibilities to diversify our products and enhance a strong territory presence. Most importantly, we have a unique advantage of providing minerals from the Dead Sea water, which allows us to produce pure natural organic ingredients.
Health E-Insights: Where will the most significant growth occur at Gadot in the next few years?
Cohen: First and foremost, we want to accelerate the increase of new products and unique blends and continue to reach out to global customers. Our focus will continue to be on food segments fortified with magnesium, potassium, and calcium for infant formulas, energy drinks, dairy, products for the senior market, and pet food as well as industrial applications outside the food arena. Gadot is making a tremendous amount of investment toward new production technologies that will allow the company to expand its product portfolio with a strong emphasis on coating and encapsulated products.
Sheldon Baker is CEO of the Baker Dillon Group LLC and has created numerous nutraceutical brand marketing communications and public relations campaigns for many well-known supplement and food industry companies. For Health E-Insights interview consideration or brand marketing consulting, contact him at SBaker@BakerDillon.com.
This article originally appeared in Nutraceuticals World.