CP Kelco, a global leader of nature-based ingredient solutions, announced that it is expanding its gellan gum production capabilities in the US. In response to continued global demand for the product, CP Kelco is making a significant investment to increase capacity at its Okmulgee, Oklahoma, biogums production facility.
“Always mindful of our customers’ needs and the quickly evolving market and consumer trends, we continue to anticipate an increased focus on naturally derived, clean-label ingredients, now and in the future,” said Jérôme Béra, Senior Vice President, Global Marketing. “With the additional gellan gum capacity in our Okmulgee plant, we can better work with our customers worldwide to develop innovative foods, beverages and other products for consumers.”
“Our continued investment in our biogums plants, along with our focus on sustainability and safety, ensures that we meet our customers’ expectations for supply, quality and innovation,” Thomas Laursen, Senior Vice President, Operations emphasized. “Along with the gellan gum expansion project kicked off at our Wulian, China plant in July, the Okmulgee project strongly positions CP Kelco with multiple supply points to support customers in every region globally.”
Since inventing gellan gum technology in 1978 and commercializing it in the 1990s, CP Kelco has continued to assert its innovation leadership in connecting the science of nature-based ingredients to label-friendly products. The gellan gum capacity expansion projects in Okmulgee and Wulian solidify the company’s position as the leading global supplier of this unique, multi-functional ingredient. As one of CP Kelco’s fermentation-derived products, KELCOGEL® Gellan Gum provides stabilization, suspension and texture for a variety of food, beverage and personal care applications.