Spanish Startup Frutanesa Aims to Disrupt Sauce Market with All-Natural Fruit Line

Spanish food company Frutanesa is ramping up its market presence with an innovative line of 100% natural, vegetable-based sauces made from fruits like mango, pineapple, and strawberry. The young Zaragoza-based firm aims to challenge the paradigm of traditional sauces with a product that is both healthy and distinct, suitable for celiacs and diabetics.

The company’s key breakthrough, developed since 2021, addresses a significant technical hurdle in food production. “Fruits have a lot of water, which is why sauces commonly on the market use flavorings instead of the fruit itself,” Aitor Martínez, co-founder of Frutanesa, told elEconomista.

Frutanesa pioneered a global innovation to manage the fruit’s natural water content, ensuring it did not compromise the sauce’s flavor and texture. This process avoids artificial flavorings, instead working with the oily and aqueous phases to “industrialize a finished product with a distinctive and balanced flavor.”

Following the product launch, Frutanesa is focused on a major commercial push in 2025 with the goal to “position ourselves as the main supplier of sauces in Spain” and compete directly with ultra-processed products.

While headquartered at La Terminal in Zaragoza, the company’s production is based in Granada. The location was chosen for its climate and proximity to strawberry, mango, and pineapple growers. The sauces use a natural carbohydrate, xylitol (from birch), which has fewer calories than sugar and allows for a no-sugar-added formula. This proprietary know-how “carries value” and is a key differentiator.

Frutanesa is already selling its natural sauces, with the goal of expanding its presence across Spain.

Frutanesa’s sauces are already available in the retail sector through distributors like Eroski franchises in Zaragoza, with plans to expand throughout Aragon and other regions. They are also sold at Supermercados Altoaragón, Super Cash Vimar, and Supermercado Tu Super in Granada.

Through wholesalers, the company has entered specialized delicatessen and gourmet shops. The products are also sold online via the Tal y Cual portal. A key logistical advantage is that “our product does not require refrigeration,” Martínez noted.

The company has also forged partnerships, including an agreement with San Jorge University in Zaragoza to promote healthy eating among students and faculty. Frutanesa is in negotiations with other entities and is preparing to enter the Horeca channel, collaborating with chefs who are exploring the sauces’ gastronomic potential. Their sweet and spicy flavor profile makes them suitable for salads and a wide range of everyday dishes.

Looking ahead to 2026, the objective is to secure placement in national chains, targeting “one or two a year because we want to scale in an orderly fashion, as the product is already validated. The challenge is to consolidate and achieve progressive growth.” The company may also launch new flavors and collaborate with other fruit- and vegetable-focused brands.

A Dream Revived

The idea for Frutanesa originated after the passing of a friend of the founders, who was a creative chef. They believed his culinary spirit “could not be lost.” The venture was also inspired by the sentiment that “cooking is another way of saying ‘I love you’.” This led to the development of the innovative fruit sauces, which have since won awards from organizations like CEOE Aragón and the IDEA awards for young companies.