Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc., a vertically integrated producer, marketer, and distributor of high-quality fresh and fresh-cut fruits and vegetables, announced the appointment of Dr. Imad Farhat as senior vice president, specialty ingredients. Dr. Farhat will spearhead the company’s vision to develop groundbreaking ingredients, derived from both Fresh Del Monte’s portfolio and other agricultural products.

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Dr. Farhat will focus on harnessing the power of nature to drive Fresh Del Monte’s long-term strategy in the ingredients industry. His focus will be on developing innovative, nature-derived ingredients that align with the company’s core mission of providing healthful products to consumers worldwide. By sourcing these products directly from nature, Fresh Del Monte continues its commitment to fostering a harmonious relationship between people, the products they consume, and the environment.

Leveraging his deep industry expertise and track record, Dr. Farhat will champion the development of a product portfolio rooted in the principles of a circular economy. By using residuals generated from Fresh Del Monte’s operations, he will help the company achieve its broader goal of sustainable operations, ensuring that nothing goes to waste and every part of natural resources is maximized. In response to the growing consumer desire to return to nature for their well-being, Dr. Farhat’s efforts will focus on creating products that align with this shift, offering wholesome, nature-derived options that resonate with today’s health-conscious consumers.

Dr. Farhat comes to Fresh Del Monte after nearly 20 years at dsm-firmenich, where he served as senior vice president, taste for South Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, playing a defining role in key platforms for the company such as sugar reduction and encapsulation. Prior to dsm-firmenich, he was an associate professor of food physical chemistry at the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom. Dr Farhat has authored more than 70 scientific publications and has an extensive patent portfolio in areas of food science.