ADM/Matsutani, the joint venture between Archer Daniels Midland Co., Matsutani Chemical Industry Co. Ltd. and Matsutani America Inc., highlights the capabilities of its Fibersol soluble dietary fiber ingredient to help beverage-makers meet the pending regulatory changes regarding added sugars and consumers’ nutritional demands. Each gram of Fibersol-2 is 90 percent fiber and provides only 0.02 grams of sugar, 1.6 Kcal and can replace many of the non-sweetening functional properties of sugar, offering an option to replace sugar and achieve calorie reduction, it adds.

Teterboro, N.J.-based Symrise launched a new company website: vanilla.symrise.com. The website showcases the company’s vanilla expertise and capabilities as well as the commitment of its dedicated farmers in Madagascar, it says.

Sethness Products Co., Skokie, Ill., certifies that all of its caramel colors contain no gluten and meet the 21 CFR 101.91 gluten-free requirements by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Gluten is not present in corn- or sugar cane-based materials, and because Sethness’ caramel colors exclusively are manufactured from these two raw materials, they do not contain gluten, the company says.

Nexira, Rouen Cedex, France, announced that its Fibregum, a range of acacia gum products, bears the following health claim from Regulation (EU) n°2016/854: “Consumption of foods/drinks containing acacia gum instead of sugars induces a lower blood glucose rise after consumption compared with sugar-containing foods/drinks.” The regulation authorizes certain health claims made on foods, other than those referring to the reduction of disease risk, to children’s development and health, and amending Regulation (EU) No432/2012.

Northbrook, Ill.-based Bell Flavors and Fragrances promoted Ryan Polak to purchasing manager of Bell’s headquarters. Polak will report to Thom Heinz, director of global procurement. His new role will have him managing the supply chain for Bell’s headquarters and negotiating major contractual agreements while also developing and implementing strategies to improve supply chain efficiencies.

Tokyo-based DIC Corp. announced that it will expand the production capacity of its California-based subsidiary Earthrise Nutritionals LLC for Linablue, a natural blue food coloring derived from the edible algae Spirulina. Investment in this project is estimated to be approximately $13 million, which follows the approximately $10 million investment in November 2013 for its first expansion, the company says. The planned increase in production capacity is undisclosed. New facilities are scheduled to commence operation in 2018.

In March 2016, Avignon, France-based Naturex, launched Ingenium, an Open Innovation Program aiming to advance technological breakthroughs by supporting innovative ideas and disruptive technologies, it says. Among the avenues being explored are plant cell technology processes and bioreactor cultivation practices, alternative ways to grow plant raw materials with full traceability while preserving natural resources. Since its inception, it reached an agreement with Sweden-based In vitro Plant-tech, a research-derived company specializing in plant cell culture development and production; it also formed a collaboration with Belgium-based Green2Chem on high-value plant roots, thus helping to unlock a plant’s full potential, it says.

OmniActive Health Technologies, Morristown, N.J., announced that it received self-affirmed generally recognized as safe (GRAS) status for its CurcuWIN, a highly bioavailable curcumin. Produced using OmniActive’s proprietary UltraSOL technology and manufactured in Pune, India, CurcuWIN is a natural turmeric extract with 20 percent curcuminoids and a similar profile to that naturally found in turmeric, the company says.

New York-based Kyowa Hakko USA announced that EFECTIV Sports Nutrition’s PWO pre-workout nutritional powder features the ingredient supplier’s Cognizin citicoline. EFECTIV PWO relies on Cognizin citicoline to help enhance communication between neurons, maintain normal levels of acetylcholine, protect neural structures, and enhance healthy brain activity and energy, it says.

TIC Gums, White Marsh, Md., released the newest episode in The Basics of Food Gums video series: “Agglomerated Gums.” This episode explores the benefits of using agglomerated gums and the impact they have on the manufacturing process, the company says. The “Agglomerated Gums” episode is the start of a new expansion series focusing on specific innovations within the hydrocolloid industry and their impact on food product development, it adds. Each episode will highlight a different innovation category and offer food and beverage industry professionals a new perspective into the world of food science.

Dakota, Ill.-based Berner Food and Beverage LLC, a private label and contract manufacturing supplier of quality food and beverage products, shared that its state-of-the-art processing center in Dakota is scheduled to be fully operational by the second quarter of 2017.

Geneva, Switzerland-based Firmenich announced the sale of its La Jonction site in Geneva, Switzerland to the State’s Pension Fund in support of the state’s urban renewal plan. The transaction will enable Firmenich to conduct its largest investment ever in Geneva to strengthen and expand its global center for innovation and creation, it says. By 2020, the fragrance and flavors company will invest more than $99.3 million to transfer all of its research and development and creation and support functions from La Jonction to a new Meyrin-Satigny Campus of Excellence, it adds.

Portland, Ore.-based Steviva Ingredients announced that it has earned organic certification under the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Organic Program as a Safe Quality Food Level 2 manufacturing facility. Additionally, it reports that its Erysweet and SteviaSweet product lines were included in the Organic Certification from Oregon Tilth, giving the company the ability to deliver sweetening systems in both conventional and organic forms and the ability to co-package and develop private-label products from its lineup of sweeteners and sweetening systems for big-box retail stores, it adds.