Opta Food Ingredients Adds Cellulose Gel to Product Line

Opta Food Ingredients, Inc. (Bedford, MA) has announced that it has obtained an exclusive sales and marketing agreement with Brazilian-based Blanver Farmoquimica Ltda. Under the agreement, Opta will market and distribute Blanver's microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) food ingredients to food companies in North America.

MCC, commonly known and labeled as cellulose gel, is a naturally derived stabilizer, texturizing agent and fat replacer. It is used in most reduced-fat salad dressings, numerous dairy products including cheese, frozen desserts and whipped toppings, and bakery products.

According to Lewis Paine, president and CEO of Opta, "We are excited about our agreement with Blanver for three reasons: first, it provides additional impetus to our focus on driving revenue growth. Second, it gives Opta an additional family of new products to offer to our current and established customers while allowing us to target additional new customers already using MCC. Third, it provides opportunities to develop new proprietary food ingredients combining MCC with currently existing Opta ingredients."

Opta Food Ingredients, Inc. manufactures and markets proprietary food ingredients that improve the nutritional content, healthfulness, texture and taste of food products.

For more information: Opta Food Ingredients, Inc., 25 Wiggins Ave., Bedford, MA 01730. Tel: 781-276-5100; Fax: 781-276-5101.

Pam Ahlberg