Purity for sodium benzoic, DSM opens new facilities

DSM Special Products, a part of Dutch-based DSM Fine Chemicals group, announced this week that it has started producing benzoic acid products, Purox B and Purox S, at its new facilities in Rotterdam (Netherlands).

According to the company, these new DSM grades of benzoic acid and sodium benzoate are a breakthrough in terms of product quality and purity.

As a result of the high quality, DSM has decided to introduce a food and pharma grade of Purox B as well. The company stressed that the new product meets all requirements for benzoic acid grades imposed by the pharmaceutical and food industries. The new DSM specialty for the food and pharma industries will be on the market before the end of this month.

With the start-up of the new facilities, DSM has more than tripled its production capacity for benzoic acid, while its capacity for sodium benzoate has more than doubled.

Purox B is DSM's tradename for benzoic acid. It is the raw material for sodium benzoate (Purox S), a preservative, and is widely used in the chemical industry. The new DSM benzoic acid has a guaranteed purity of at least 99.9 per cent.

Purox S is a sodium benzoate grade that combines good taste and odour characteristics with a guaranteed 99.9 per cent product purity. DSM claims that Purox S is a useful product for the food industry because it features good processability and flow properties, high solubility and is dust free. Purox S also acts as a safe preservative in food products. Sodium benzoate is one of the most widely used preservatives in the food industry and is used in products such as beverages, fruit products, sauces, jams and salads.

According to DSM, the new plant for Purox B and Purox S is the first production facility in the world for sodium benzoate designed in accordance with Good Manufacturing Practice standards and in which HACCP-principles (Hazard Analyses and Critical Control Points) are implemented. Business group director Jo Scholz said confidently: "The new DSM process that forms the basis of our capacity expansion turns out a product of such an exceptionally high purity that we will be able to deliver much better product quality and product performance. Purox S meets the most stringent requirements of our customers in the food industry."​

DSM is active worldwide in life science products, performance materials, polymers and industrial chemicals. The group has annual sales of €8 billion and employs about 22,000 people (year-end 2001) at more than 200 sites worldwide.