According to the terms of the partnership, New Jersey-based Farbest will exclusively market the products to the U.S. food and beverage industry, while the companies will jointly market ZMC’s beta carotene to the dietary supplement industry.
The move comes in response to increasing demand for the nutrient, which is also used as a colorant in many foods. Sander Krupski, national sales manager for ZMC-USA told NutraIngredients-USA.com that beta-carotene was becoming a natural alternative to synthetic colors.
The size of the beta-carotene market is difficult to gauge, said Krupski, but estimates put it between 530 and 580 metric tons.
The team up with Farbest enables ZMC to expand into the food and beverage markets. Krupski said Farbest were the best choice for those markets, being premium distributors in food and beverage.
“We are proud to be representing ZMC in these market segments,” said Dan Meloro, president of Farbest Brands. “Both companies bring a long history of integrity, technical knowledge, and superb customer service to this partnership.”
Currently, ZMC’s portfolio of products includes beta-carotene in oil form and encapsulated powders for a broad range of applications, offering formulation flexibility to manufacturers designing innovative products that deliver the nutritional benefits of beta carotene or provide label-friendly color solutions, said the company.
All of the company’s beta-carotene is produced at facilities in Zhejiang province, China, and both natural (from fermentation) and synthetic forms are on offer. “They are similarly priced,” said Krupski.
“As a market leader in our industry, ZMC maintains the highest standards in quality and efficiency while offering a wide range of sought-after products,” said Scott Steinford, president of Texas-based ZMC-USA. Krupski added that ZMC is the only company granted USP (United States Pharmacopeia) verification for its beta-carotene ingredient,
The verification mark comes under USP's voluntary Verified Dietary Supplement Ingredients Program, a third-party audit that tests the quality of ingredients.
Globally, ZMC claims to be the largest supplier of biotin, the second largest supplier of vitamin E, the third largest supplier of natural vitamin E, and the second largest supplier of fermented CoQ10.