Ashland Aqualon Functional Ingredients has a range of cellulose-based food ingredients, whose uses include thickening, film formation, water retention binding, emulsifying.

Floris van Eijndhoven, global distribution manager for Ashland Functional Ingredients, told FoodNavigator.com that the ingredients have been available in The Netherlands for many years through a different distributor.

He would not give any reason for the distribution change, or an indication of the potential the companies see in the market.