Ingredion Incorporated, a Chicago-based ingredients supplier specializing in food, beverage, animal nutrition, brewing, and industrial markets, announced that it has acquired KaTech, a privately held company headquartered in Lubeck, Germany, that provides advanced texture and stabilization solutions to the food and beverage industry. Founded in 2010, KaTech has a strong focus on plant-based, dairy, and dairy alternatives, meat and fish, savory, and bakery products.
 
Ingredion said that the acquisition complements the company’s existing specialty ingredient portfolio by expanding its food systems platform with a comprehensive suite of innovative solutions that assist food and beverage manufacturers with product formulation, ingredient functionality, and technical assistance. The terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.
 
“KaTech has deep food formulation expertise which complements our leading texture business in Europe,” Jim Zallie, Ingredion’s president and CEO, said. “The addition of KaTech enhances our ability to formulate customized, complete food solutions leveraging Ingredion’s expanded ingredient portfolio. It also expands the geographic footprint of our Food Systems growth platform complementing our positions in the U.S. and Asia.”
 
“We are committed to working together to continue to meet KaTech’s customers’ needs and building upon their world-class reputation in specialties for technical depth, applications know-how, and innovative texturizing solutions that create value for foods and beverages,” Pierre Perez y Landazuri, Ingredion’s senior vice president, Texture, Protein, and Performance Specialties, said.
 
“Our customers will benefit from a comprehensive suite of nature-based ingredients with access to tailored solutions and unrivalled speed to market,” Mike O’Riordan, Ingredion’s president of Europe, Middle East, and Africa. “Ingredion’s complementary geographic reach will enable the KaTech business to thrive and continue growing.”