Spanish chocolate group Natra has returned to profitability in the first nine months of the year.
In the January to September period, the cocoa and chocolate firm said it earned EUR1.9m (US$2.5m) compared to a net loss of EUR2.6m in the comparable period last year.
The "significant recovery" of the group's business operations, which allowed the firm to close September with an operating profit increase of 74.8% to EUR11.63m, was the main driver of the change in Natra's net result, it said.
The figure was also boosted by an improvement in operating income in the firm's Natraceutical ingredients division, which filed a EUR1.3m profit compared to a loss of EUR1.5m last year.
An easing of cocoa prices and expansion into North America also helped drive profits.
Turnover dropped 0.6% to EUR259.3m. A change in inventories of "finished and work in progress" goods affected sales by EUR991,000.
