CP Kelco taps Biesterfeld to distribute natural food ingredients

In Eastern Europe, specialty chemicals distributor Biesterfeld will distribute renewable food and nutrition ingredients produced by Atlanta’s CP Kelco.

Under the terms of the deal, Biesterfeld will distribute pectin, carrageenan, xantham gum, gellan gum, and citrus fiber in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia. Biesterfeld has already been providing these products in Germany and Poland.

“With consumer demand for clean-label products continuing to grow, our portfolio meets the need for nature-based ingredients for a wide range of food applications,” says Bernd-Maximilian Fischer, Business Manager Nutrition, Biesterfeld Spezialchemie. “The expansion of our distribution area allows us to serve our customers and address evolving market needs even more comprehensively.”

Pectin is a gelling agent derived from citrus peel and used primarily in the production of fruit preparations and acidified milk products. Carrageenans are extracted from red seaweed and used in confectioneries and milk-based desserts. Gellan gum is used as a stabilizer and suspension agent in dairy alternative beverages, while xanthan gum is used as a versatile thickening agent in various foods. CP Kelco says its newly introduced citrus fiber can be used to replace some E-numbered additives and help meet clean-label  goals as a stabilizer in condiments and dressings, fruit applications and fruit-flavored beverages, and dairy, bakery and meat products.