Dive Brief:
- Calcium carbonate supplier, Omya, aims to substantially increase its brand in the food market, becoming a leading supplier of the mineral for use in baking, beverages, and chewing gum.
- Functionalized calcium carbonate is a versatile raw ingredient that can be used by a variety of customers in any number of food applications.
- The nutrient is not only an effective source of calcium but also has functionalities such as extrusion aids, pH buffers, and gelling agents.
Dive Insight:
In an interview with FoodIngredientsFirst.com, Stefan Lander, Omya's vice president for food, pharma, and cosmetics, says officials are promoting the benefits and vast uses of functionalized calcium carbonate to the food industry.
The mineral's recrystallized surface allows it to hold large capacities of liquids such as oils that can be turned into a powder, which can be turned into a tablet, if needed, and act as an anti-caking agent to capture moisture. Lander says production is ramping up. At this time, the company's food sector market is small; however, it intends to become internationally recognized by the food market for the versatility of its highly pure, raw calcium carbonite.
Omya currently operates a vast global distribution network for ingredients and additives, but also wants to be viewed as a supplier of an adaptable food ingredient. An emerging market is infant nutrition, where natural calcium carbonate is used in place of the precipitated product. The high levels of purity and low levels of aluminum found in natural calcium carbonate are attractive for use in natural products.
Omya, based in Switzerland, is focused on sustainably mining high quality calcium carbonate for use in the food sector. The purest form of the raw material is found in southern France, as well as North America and Turkey.