Regional markets
Europe
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cantly through volume growth well above the underlying
market growth. Our strong multi-oil platform, in-depth
expertise in oils and fats, and multi-processing capabilities
combined with our continued focus on customer co-de-
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semi-speciality solutions.
Momentum in Chocolate & Confectionery Fats remained
very strong in Eastern Europe and Russia as well as with our
strategic accounts across the region. Within Dairy we saw
an emerging demand for dairy alternatives and plant-based
solutions, a dominant trend that will create further opportunities
in the coming years. The Bakery segment had another
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organic volume growth in this segment is possible for 2018.
Special Nutrition saw strong demand in both domestic
consumption and export to Asia. Akonino®, our tailor-made
product range for Infant Nutrition, continued to grow faster
than the market and the Akonino® Organic range was also in
high demand. Medical Nutrition continued to grow through
our product range Akomed®, and within Senior Nutrition, a
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Akovita® product range during the year. As for Foodservice,
we had a strong year in the UK, growing faster than the
market. In Scandinavia, however, we faced some challenges
due to changing market and competitor dynamics.
20
We have observed an increasing demand for organic
solutions, most notably in Infant Nutrition and Dairy. We
have responded by setting up dedicated supply chains to
meet this demand.
To stay ahead of the competition and maximize business
opportunities we continue to invest in application know-how,
skilled resources and product development capabilities. An
example is the strengthening of our Customer Innovation
Centers network in Europe that allows our customers to truly
co-develop solutions with AAK.
North Latin America
2017 in Mexico was very much marked by a continuously
changing industry environment with an increasing focus on
healthier food alternatives, stricter food safety controls, and
a challenging competitive environment. By surpassing our
customers’ expectations with an uninterrupted evolution of
innovative solutions and process improvements, we kept
AAK Mexico at the forefront of processed food industry
suppliers in the country. In addition, AAK Mexico responded
to a demanding economic and political situation with a
highly effective and coordinated execution in every link of
our value chain – from precise raw material sourcing to an
extremely high service level to all customers. Going forward,
we foresee a more demanding industry, changing faster than
ever before, with new requirements in healthier and more