Belgium's Solvay to develop food-grade antioxidants in India

Solvay, the Belgian chemical and advanced materials company, is extending its footprint in India to tap the burgeoning processed food industry by developing food-grade antioxidants. The company considers India as a strategic market and will start production of tertiary butylhydroquinone (TBHQ), a highly effective antioxidant, in the country very shortly. TBHQ, an aromatic organic compound and a derivative of hydroquinone, is widely used as food preservative.

“Solvay is determined to reinforce its position in India by bringing the highest level of food safety for the benefit of Indian consumers,” stated Mukesh Malhotra, Solvay’s India country manager.

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In fact, Solvay Aroma Performance, which was the first to synthesise and produce the vanillin molecule on an industrial scale, has been scaling up its production in Asia to serve the regional markets. The company recently announced a capacity extension project for hydroquinone (HQ), catechol (PC) and para-methoxyphenol (MEHQ or PMP) at its Zhenjiang site, China. From this environment-friendly capacity, which is scheduled to be operational in 2018, Solvay will serve the market growth in India and Asia. 

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“From this hydroquinone and catechol competitive platform, Solvay intends to grow in butyl hydroxyl anisole (BHA) and TBHQ - diphenol derivatives used as food and feed antioxidants,” commented Jacques Guglielmi, Asia VP & general manager at Solvay Aroma Performance.

For this purpose, Solvay has already invested and successfully started up a new high quality BHA production in France since November 2015 and will start TBHQ production in India in July 2016.