Univar Solutions steps up to innovate beer ingredients with Kalsec’s hop products

28 Jul 2023 --- Univar Solutions is growing its association with Kalsec for advanced hop ingredients in the US. The move adds to their current partnership, which includes the distribution of Kalsec’s natural taste and sensory, colors and food protection solutions in Mexico, Colombia and Europe.

The partnership aims to “increase sales” of Kalsec’s current hops and beverage portfolio products, which cover alcoholic and non-alcoholic beer (NA), as well as and beer-adjacent applications. It is aiming to “promote and expand” sales of the company’s key innovations, specifically in NA Beer Applications, Hop Waters, Encapsulated Hop Oils and Hop Oil with Natural Flavors.

“Our partnership with Univar Solutions will assist in driving significant growth of our hops business in the US craft brewing market over the next several years,” Pattie Aron, Ph.D., director of product management – Hops at Kalsec, tells Food Ingredients First.

Aron expects a “positive” market reaction from this agreement. “This partnership with Univar will allow Kalsec to expand our customer base while providing more timely and attentive customer service to smaller breweries.”

“We continuously strive to improve our current products portfolio for increased efficiencies in the brewing process to ensure they meet our customers’ high value, quality and consistency expectations in a competitive landscape.”

Kevin Hack, global vice president of food ingredients for Univar Solutions, adds: “We are excited to continue our successful collaboration by adding their advanced hop products to our specialty ingredients portfolio and offering strategic solutions and further flexibility to our customers.”

Now available through Univar Solutions, Kalsec offers advanced hop ingredients such as hop acids, kettle aroma extracts, customized blends, neat hop oils, and hop flavoring. HopRival, its natural hop extracts, craft blends of 100% hop-derived oils to deliver hop flavor and aroma to brewed beverages “reliably in every batch, every time.”

Hops are considered the “spice of beer.”Spicing-up the beer
Referencing the long-held use of hops and their impact on beer flavors, Aron explains that hops are considered the “spice of beer” as they provide bitterness, flavor, mouthfeel, foam and bacteriostatic enhancement to the brew.

Kalsec’s Encapsulated Hops Oils are a natural alternative that enables brewers to “accelerate” production and reduce waste while delivering “consistent, authentic flavors and aromas.”

Consumers expect “deep, distinctive colors and flavors” when choosing beverages.

Innovation drives the way
“It is not a surprise that we’re seeing rapid innovation in the beverage market,” remarks Joanne Martz, senior vice president of hops and food protection business units for Kalsec.

She notes that beverages, including beer and other brewed drinks, require “sophisticated organoleptic properties” and thus need solutions to “innovate” ingredients and improve processes. There is a need to support customer demand and market needs “more than ever.”

“Combining Kalsec’s advanced hop solutions with Univar Solutions’ technical expertise, portfolio, and capabilities enables us to better support customers in the growing craft beer and other markets,” she comments.

Univar Solutions’ scientists “refresh and develop” formulas to enhance the efficacy of beverage products through its food Solution Centers and test kitchens. 

Last October, Food Ingredients First spoke with Jake Kirkendall, a scientist for hops and brew innovation at Kalsec for his insights on what technologies are driving the beverage space.

By Insha Naureen