BASF optimizes global sterols production infrastructure

An FDA approved claim states that 1.3 grams of plant sterols per day may reduce the risk of heart disease. Image: © iStockPhoto

BASF is increasing its sterol extraction capacity at its site in Boussens, France, and closing its sterols production site in Pasadena, Texas as the company optimizes its global sterol production infrastructure.

The Pasadena plant, which manufactures wood and vegetable sterols, will close by the end of 2015, said the company, with 37 positions affected by the closure. The site is remotely located from the key raw material sources, and does not allow BASF to remain competitive in the marketplace, added the company.

The company considers sterols to be an important product range in its human nutrition portfolio, and will continue to manufacture the ingredients without interruption at other sites in Europe and the United States.

Sterols are typically used in dietary supplements and as functional ingredients in food products to reduce cholesterol. Numerous clinical trials in controlled settings have reported that daily consumption of 1.5 to 3 grams of phyto-sterols/-stanols from foods can reduce total cholesterol levels by eight to 17%, representing a significant reduction in the risk of cardiovascular disease.

The US FDA approved health claim states that 1.3 grams of plant sterols per day as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease. (For plant stanols, the daily dose increases to 3.4 grams)