How an Australian flavour maker built a 15-year Bangladesh partnership

International business story | Australian food-ingredient company The Product Makers was founded in 1985 and supplies encapsulated flavours, powders and concentrates used in drinks, confectionery, tea, baked goods and savoury snacks. Instead of simply shipping an Australian flavour abroad, it develops products with local manufacturers. Austrade’s 28 November 2025 case study explains how it built a long-term Bangladesh partnership.

The company’s international footprint began early: a factory in Brazil in the 1990s, China five years later, manufacturing in Indonesia and India, and sales teams and laboratories in 22 markets. According to its sales director, overseas entities generate about half of total revenue, while exports represent 65–70% of sales for products made in Australia. These are company-reported shares, not audited global market share.

In Bangladesh, The Product Makers has worked with Banga Flavour & Fragrance for about 15 years. They began with powdered-drink products and later expanded into baked goods and electrolyte drinks. BFF opened an innovation facility in Chattogram in the year before the case study; The Product Makers contributed to its design and expansion and continued development through its laboratories and testing equipment.

The partnership goes beyond a one-off ingredient sale. The company says it trains local staff in product development and brings people to Australia to work with its technical team so they can run trials with their own customers. This combines products, application expertise and training. The source does not disclose individual orders, costs or profits, so those details cannot be inferred.

Austrade says that for almost a decade it introduced the company to local distributors and opportunities, organised seminars and trade-fair promotion, attended customer meetings, and helped with regulatory challenges related to Bangladesh’s banking system. Government support can add credibility, but the case shows that durable operations still depend on a local partner, testing facilities and continuing technical exchange.

Lesson for a small food brand: before entering a market, identify what local manufacturers or channels are actively developing, then prepare test samples, application recipes, adjustment ranges and a continuity plan. Run one beverage or bakery trial and document responsibility for formulation, compliance and scale-up. This editorial method does not guarantee the same result; the next step is to validate the partner’s technical and commercial capacity.

Sources

• The Product Makers pioneers flavour innovation in Bangladesh | Austrade

Some images in this article are generated illustrations.