Exhibiting at Fi South America 2025

Carino Ingredientes Ltda. is a Brazilian company specializing in the processing and development of high-performance food ingredients, with a strong focus on inclusions, coatings, fillings, and toppings for the food and confectionery industries. Headquartered in Marília, São Paulo, Carino serves clients across Brazil and Latin America, providing tailored ingredient solutions for bakery, dairy, snacks, chocolates, and frozen dessert applications.

Core Business

Founded with a vision to transform base ingredients into value-added functional components, Carino Ingredientes operates at the intersection of food technology, sensory performance, and consumer trend alignment. The company is recognized for its innovation in flavor delivery systems, textural inclusions, and visual enhancement of food products.

Carino integrates formulation science with industrial processing to provide scalable and customized solutions for B2B clients seeking differentiation, shelf stability, and clean-label credentials.

Products and Service Offerings

Carino’s product portfolio is developed to meet the operational and marketing needs of food manufacturers by enhancing taste, texture, appearance, and functionality.

Core Product Categories

• Nuts & Seeds:

  • Roasted and flavored almonds, peanuts, and mixed nuts
  • Sugar-coated and savory-seasoned varieties

• Fillings & Pastes:

  • Hazelnut, peanut, fruit-based, and chocolate fillings for bakery and snack applications
  • Stable under baking and freezing conditions

• Inclusions:

  • Cereal-based inclusions, biscuit pieces, fruit chips, granules for ice cream, chocolate, and bakery

• Crunchy Coatings & Drageados:

  • Crisp-coated nuts, seeds, cereals, and chocolate pieces in sugar or fat-based shells

• Toppings:

  • Crunchy, fruity, and creamy toppings for desserts, frozen yogurts, and beverages

• Chocolates & Compound Coatings:

  • Enrobing and decorative solutions, including dark, milk, white, and flavored chocolates

• Fruit Preparations & Chips:

  • Dehydrated fruits, sweetened or natural, for confectionery and nutritional snacks

• Customized Developments:

  • Co-created ingredients based on processing needs (e.g., bake stability, colorfastness, viscosity, allergen control)

All products are developed in alignment with shelf life requirements, manufacturing constraints, and flavor optimization strategies.

Specialization and Unique Strengths

Carino Ingredientes is uniquely positioned in Brazil as a vertically integrated manufacturer with end-to-end capability in sensory and functional ingredient systems. Distinctive strengths include:

• Custom Formulation Services: Clients work directly with Carino’s R&D team to design ingredients that meet specific product, process, or market requirements.
• Pilot & Scale-up Support: In-house testing kitchens and pilot lines to simulate industrial conditions
• Agile Manufacturing: Ability to handle both high-volume and small-batch runs with consistent quality
• Innovation with Local Relevance: Deep understanding of regional flavor preferences and compliance with Brazilian food safety regulations
• Application-Specific Engineering: Inclusions optimized for thermal tolerance, pH stability, or delayed release

Financials

As a privately owned company, Carino does not publish detailed financial reports. However, industry estimates and sourcing data suggest:

• Estimated Annual Revenue (2023): BRL 80–100 million (~USD 15–18 million)
• Volume Processed Annually: Over 3,500 metric tons of ingredient formulations
• Top Customer Segments:
  • Bakery & confectionery: ~40%
  • Frozen desserts & ice cream: ~25%
  • Cereal, snacks & nutritional bars: ~20%
  • Dairy & beverages: ~15%

Shipments and Regional Reach

Carino operates primarily within Brazil but has expanded distribution into select LATAM markets. Its centralized manufacturing and logistics setup in São Paulo state enables efficient national coverage.

• Daily Dispatch Capacity: 80+ pallets
• Delivery Time (Domestic): 24–72 hours across major metropolitan regions
• Export Growth Focus: Argentina, Chile, Colombia, and Paraguay

Target Markets

• Industrial bakeries and snack food producers
• Dairy and dessert brands
• Chocolate and confectionery manufacturers
• Foodservice brands and co-packers
• Ice cream and frozen treat companies
• Nutritional product brands

Capabilities

• In-House R&D & Application Lab
• Pilot Production Lines for Sampling and Trials
• Sensory & Shelf Life Testing
• Full Traceability and Allergen Segregation
• Packaging Options: Bulk (25kg), foodservice packs, and premeasured sachets

Certifications and Compliance

• ANVISA and MAPA regulatory compliance
• GMP and HACCP certified manufacturing environment
• Allergen Control Programs with full documentation
• Kosher and Halal certification available on select product lines
• Clean Label and Vegan options upon request

Customer Testimonials

“Carino has been instrumental in helping us improve the sensory experience of our bars and snacks. Their biscuit and fruit inclusions deliver the texture and stability we couldn’t find elsewhere.”
— Innovation Manager, Functional Snack Brand

“Their turnaround time and customization capacity make them our go-to partner for seasonal and limited-edition flavors.”
— Senior Buyer, National Bakery Chain

Major Achievements

• Successfully co-developed over 80 private-label formulations for major Brazilian retail and industrial clients
• Introduced a new heat-stable inclusion line for ice cream and bakery applications in 2023
• Expanded operations with new modular production lines increasing blending and coating capabilities
• Maintained a 99.2% on-time delivery rate across Brazil in 2023–2024
• Built a portfolio of over 300 unique SKUs, many tailored to specific customer applications