German chemicals and ingredients giant BASF will invest to increase the production capacity of its high-purity ammonium carbonate in a bid to meet increasing global demand.
The ingredient, mainly used as a synthetic leavening agent for bakery products, has grown in demand in recent times - mainly due to increased awareness of food safety driving up demand for high-purity ingredients.
The company said that increases in food safety awareness are growing globally, but “especially in Asia”. Karl Chang, regional head of business management inorganic chemicals Asia Pacific, explained that the extra capacity “will enable us to meet growing demand for high-purity food additives in the Asia Pacific region."
BASFs increased volume will come from expansion of capacity at its Ludwigshafen plant in Germany. The company told FoodNavigator that the upgrade of the facilities is scheduled to be completed in early 2013, with the investment said to be “in the single-digit mid euro range.”
The company noted that the plant, which also manufactures certified kosher and halal products, is GMP-certified (Good Manufacturing Practice) and also fulfils certification standards of the British Retail Consortium (BRC) – which provide added assurance that ingredients are of high quality and purity.
"With our technical expertise and the high quality standard of our plant, which is geared towards the most stringent requirements in the production of food additives, we are ideally placed to further strengthen our market-leading position in this segment," said Dr. Thomas Wehlage, senior VP and head of the inorganic chemicals business unit.