April 28/St. Louis/Food Weekly Focus -- Sensient Technologies Corporation plans to add to its natural color capabilities by investing $16 million at its color group headquarters site in St. Louis, Missouri. Sensient will build an additional 25,000 sq. ft. facility dedicated wholly to natural colors production. "The plant will be the largest and most advanced natural colors plant in North America," the company said in a statement. "The building will include major new equipment for natural color emulsions, dispersions and liquid colors."

This is the latest in a planned series of investments to expand Sensient's natural color global capabilities. Previous investments include an increase in emulsion capability in Hamburg, Germany, a new facility in Guangzhou, China, and expanded capacity in anthocyanins in Reggio Emilia, Italy. These natural color investments will total more than $50 million.

Kenneth P. Manning, chairman and CEO of Sensient Technologies Corporation, said, "This major new investment emphasizes the growing importance of natural colors for food and beverages. The trend toward natural colors is accelerating, and this new manufacturing plant will further promote the conversion to natural colors by large food and beverage manufacturers. Our natural color investments ensure that we will remain in the forefront of the industry with state-of-the-art facilities and cutting-edge technologies."

From the May 10, 2010, Prepared Foods E-dition