Chr. Hansen Inc.

The organic market is growing at about 20 percent annually, creating a rise in demand for organic ingredients. Chr. Hansen joins the market with an ingredient portfolio of colors, flavors, seasonings, and dairy and probiotic cultures for use in foods labeled “made with organic ingredients,” as defined by the National Organic Program (NOP).

Organic colors – for example, Annatto (source botanical pictured above) for Cheddar cheese – must be derived from natural sources, which can make them less stable and more difficult to produce specific hues. Chr. Hansen has developed a range of hues that are acid-, heat-, and light-stable in organic foods and beverages. Some of these colors also can be used as phytonutrients.

Flavors allowed for use in organic foods must be from nonsynthetic sources, and must not be produced using synthetic solvents and carrier systems or any artificial preservative. Chr. Hansen formulates customized flavors and seasonings that meet not only the client's organic needs, but functional and taste requirements as well.

Chr. Hansen's NOP-compliant dairy cultures for use in organic cheese, yogurt, and other fermented milk products offer acidification, gas formation, flavor, texture, and phage resistance characteristics.

The company's probiotic cultures for dairy, BB-12 Bifidobacterium and LA-5 Lactobacillus acidophilus, are also NOP-compliant. These cultures have proven to exert certain health benefits, and can be used in a variety of applications such as yogurt and smoothies.

Within the different global food industry markets, organic regulations and standards can vary widely. Chr. Hansen offers assistance on these issues, from the U.S.’s NOP to the EU and other regional standards. To help food manufacturers understand the organic industry, Chr. Hansen also offers an informational piece that introduces formulation and ingredient solutions for organic foods.

Company Information

9015 West Maple Street
Milwaukee, Wis. 53214 (see map)
Phone: 1-800-558-0802 or (414) 607-5700
Fax: 414-607-5959
email: Innovations@chr-hansen-us.com
Website: www.chr-hansen.com