Univar Solutions’ ChemPoint appointed as North American distributor for Xtendra BHT ingredient

13 Jul 2022 --- ChemPoint, a subsidiary of Univar Solutions, has been chosen by shelf-life extension solutions provider CFS North America, under Camlin Fine Sciences, for the sales and distribution of its Xtendra BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) product throughout the US and Canada.

Xtendra BHT is a food-grade hindered phenolic antioxidant commonly used as a preservative in a wide variety of food applications, alongside animal feed, animal and vegetable oils, petroleum products, rubber and plastics.

“Xtendra BHT, manufactured by Camlin Fine Sciences, compliments our current portfolio of preservatives and antioxidants and the team at CFS is well positioned to support the needs of today's growing food and personal care markets,” remarks Rick Hoener, global vice president and managing director of ChemPoint.

“This partnership will also support the evolving needs of industrial applications that require a versatile, general-purpose antioxidant.”

BHT applicability across food space
BHT is an antioxidant for food applications and helps provide carry-through effectiveness in fats and oils by imparting stability to baked goods, cereals and packaging materials.

While the ingredient is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, kosher and halal for use in food and food contact applications, it has come under scrutiny in recent years.

Jennifer Igou, general manager, CFS North America, adds: “We see tremendous value in ChemPoint’s digital capabilities and driving growth into new applications and marketspaces. We look forward to leveraging the strengths of their organization to serve the North American marketspace with Xtendra BHT.”

While noted for its high functionalities as a shelf-life extender, BHT has been on a gradual decline across recipes in line with rising clean label demands. As a result, industry has seen a shift toward more natural alternatives over the last year, such as rosemary extract, which offers comparable preservation qualities.

Univar business highlights
At the ongoing IFT FIRST trade show in Chicago, US, Univar Solutions is showcasing Foodology by Univar Solutions, a specialized team within the company dedicated to the distribution and technical innovation needs of the food and nutrition ingredient industries.

The new business segment will develop products with cleaner labels, respond to market or regulatory trends, test “free-from” and other label claims, as well as bring new products to market faster.

Foodology combines distribution resources, a global network of food scientists and ingredient experts in the company’s global solutions centers, such as the food-focused development space within The Hatchery in Chicago, a non-profit food business incubator.

Univar Solutions is collaborating with The Hatchery to foster F&B innovation, as the center is tipped as one of North America’s most extensive incubator facilities.

By Benjamin Ferrer