Nigerian food company Teruke plans to launch tinned soups and stews into the UK market

NIGERIAN food company Teruke International is planning to start shipping tinned soups and stews into the UK before the end of the year as part of an audacious programme to corner a niche in the British easy meal market.

Founded by Jim Omaraye, a Nigerian healthcare professional, Teruke is an off-shoot of De West Wind, based in California in the US. It cans traditional Nigerian foods like pepper soup, ogbono, egusi, vegetable soup and cow meat stew and ships them to customers all over the world once they make orders through its website www.teruke.com.

Mr Omaraye said: "Teruke is a Nigerian company that produces indigenous soups made from whole natural ingredients without artificial preservation for your comfort, convenience and healthy living. Our dream was borne out of the inspiration from home as well as international fronts for the provision of soups prepared after the manner of our forebears which accorded them longevity.

"With a small shipping fee, you can purchase any products from our website and we will deliver them to your desired destination. You can shop for a friend, family member or a loved one from any anywhere in the world using our online services and we will deliver to the desired location in Nigeria."

He added that today, most soups in Nigeria have lost their indigenous touch in the name of modernity and civilisation. According to Mr Omaraye, these soups are mostly tainted with not only artificial seasonings but also with ingredients whose growth are chemically enhanced and as a result, their nutritional value is compromised.

"Teruke International is here to correct this situation, to re-enact the methods and the means by which the indigenous African fed. We do this by sourcing our materials, ingredients from their natural habitats and without the aid of artificial growth procedures," Mr Omaraye added.

He pointed out that what you feed on is a reflection of your health status so at Teruke, they have zero tolerance for artificial materials. It is not yet clear how long it will take Teruke to obtain clearance from the British food regulatory authorities to enable them attack the mass market and sell their products in large retail chains like Sainsbury's Asda, Tesco and the Co-op.