Farbest Brands has hired Joe Rios as technical sales manager, the latest in a slew of strategic organizational changes to support investment in new product lines and ingredients, specifically in hydrocolloids.

“Hydrocolloids are sort of like the hidden ingredient in a lot of the things we use daily,” Rios said. “From soft drinks and granola bars to shampoo pharmaceuticals, they’re really used in everything.”

20 Years of Experience in the Hydrocolloid Market
“Even before I went to college, I was learning about hydrocolloids,” Rios said. “What’s gum acacia, what’s pectin? I was in the lab, learning.”

Rios got his start in the R&D lab as a member of the Marine Corps, developing Meals, Ready-to-Eat (MREs) for troops in the field.

“I used to call it meatball mush,” Rios said. “They were these go-go pouches that you’d pop the top and squeeze it out, and it’d have a flavor to it. You’d taste meatloaf, spaghetti and meatballs – even cheesecake.”

After his time in the military, Joe earned a Master’s degree in Food Science and Nutrition with a minor in Dietetics from UCLA.

A Leader in the Industry
From there, Rios entered the food ingredient industry as the North American Sales Director at Silva Team, an Italy-based producer of pectin, tara gum, and tannins.  

“We provided tannins to the top five wine producers in Napa Valley,” Rios said, in addition to serving clients in the dairy industry across the U.S. and Canada. “I did a little bit of everything. Opened warehouses, hired the sales team, managed communication between Europe and the US.”

After 13 years with Silva Team, Rios went to Nexira. As their North American Sales and Technical Director, he was responsible for a $40 million portfolio of extracts, botanicals, stabilizers, and hydrocolloids to the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

His last stop before joining Farbest was Gelita, a producer of gelatin, collagen peptides, and bioactive collagen peptides, where he served as the Head of Customer Management for the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

An Expert on Hydrocolloid Applications
“When it comes to hydrocolloids, you’re not just selling a commodity,” Rios said. “You’re also working with your customer to figure out what kinds of ingredients will best suit their needs.”

Taste, texture, and mouth-feel are all dependent on the specific hydrocolloid a product uses, according to Rios – and he has the expertise to guide food and beverage producers to the right ones for their products. Nutritional concerns play a role in choosing the best hydrocolloids as well.

“Our industry right now is heading in a more plant-based direction,” Rios said.

At Farbest, Rios aims to take a highly collaborative, integrated approach to working with partners and clients.

“Our partners have entrusted us with their products,” Rios said. “And my goal is to really own that. I want our partners to see us at Farbest as part of the family.”

About Farbest Brands
Since 1955, Farbest Brands has manufactured and delivered food and nutrition ingredients to North American companies from ethical suppliers from around the world. Farbest offers a full range of clean-label, high-quality dairy and plant proteins, gum acacia, vitamins, vitamin pre-mixes, sweeteners and natural colors, as well as organic ingredients, as well as market insights and formulation guidance for their customers.

www.farbest.com