BASF and Fortitech to form a strategic alliance

On the second day of the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Annual 2001 meeting in New Orleans, US nutrient systems company Fortitech and chemicals giant BASF announced a strategic alliance. Under the agreement the BASF Corporation's Human Nutrition Group will transfer its former North American human nutrition premix customers to Fortitech and will work to maximise sales in the human nutrition premix market within North America. BASF ingredients will be used in Fortitech manufactured premixes. Commenting on the new relationship Walter Borisenok, President of Fortitech said, "This alliance enables both companies to focus on our core competencies."​Mike Doyle, BASF's Director of Human Nutrition added, "Our businesses complement each other, so this alliance is a natural fit."​ Staying with health, Protein Technologies International (PTI), a DuPont business, unveiled at the IFT exhibition its new Solae consumer branded-ingredient program. The program combines PTI's line of science-based soy protein ingredients with brand licensing and promotional support. "Our key partners in the Solae branding program will be able to differentiate their products in the increasingly crowded field of healthy products,"​ said Stephen Tanda, PTI president. The first food product to carry the Solae mark, 8th Continent soymilk, will hit US shelves in July 2001. US food phosphate company Astaris is to expand its Carondelet facility in St. Louis. The company is aiming to boost production of Levn-Lite, its sodium aluminium phosphate product. "This expansion demonstrates our commitment to the food phosphates industry and supports the growth of our bakery market,"​ commented Jerry Sibley, CEO of Astaris. This move follows shortly after Astaris' opening of a new purified phosphoric acid production facility in Idaho, US in May. Source: FoodNavigator.com editorial team