Expansion of VitaCholine® Production Capacity

Balchem announces expansion of VitaCholine® production capacity to satisfy growing global demand 

Montvale, New Jersey, (12 December, 2023) –

Balchem, a global manufacturer of specialty ingredients for human nutrition and health (HNH), is pleased to announce the expansion in production capacity in the U.S of VitaCholine^® – Balchem’s brand of human choline. The upgrade will increase output by 50% and will allow the company to better meet the increasing demand for this essential nutrient, well known in the supplement industry in relation to cognitive health and performance. 

Frédéric Boned, Senior VP & General Manager, Human Nutrition & Health at Balchem, shared his excitement about this new achievement:

“We’re enthusiastic about the successful expansion of our VitaCholine^® manufacturing capacity. This milestone demonstrates our commitment to providing an expanded supply of quality human choline to help our partners’ global growth in early childhood nutrition, dietary supplements and food & beverage applications. Boasting numerous quality certifications, VitaCholine^® is the gold standard in choline salts and provides the highest levels of choline of any product form – effectively helping with the dosage challenges associated with most supplement formulations.”

Frédéric Boned, Senior VP and General Manager, Balchem Human Nutrition and Health

Fulfilling Consumer Demand  

In recent years, choline’s popularity has been on the rise among consumers, with Google Trends data demonstrating that searches for the term have steadily trended upward, reaching +55% compared to 2020. This surge of interest is driven by consumers becoming increasingly aware of the numerous health benefits delivered by this ingredient, including supporting cognitive health. The latter is also the fastest growing category, registering a +7.2% in 2022, against +1.9% of the overall industry.¹ This trend touches every generation, with people being on the lookout for supplements that not only preserve memory and brain function, but also enhance them.

Taking a closer look at choline, clinical studies have shown that this ingredient can play a critical role throughout all stages of life. In pregnancy and early childhood development, for example, higher prenatal choline intakes have been shown to improve cognitive processing speeds, increased attention levels and enhanced DHA uptake.^2,3 Research has also reported that the benefits of choline may extend beyond early childhood, being applicable to adults as well, improving their cognitive performance.⁴ 

Expanding Production Capacity  

The capacity expansion was completed in August 2023 and is expected to be fully operational by the end of the year. Reflecting Balchem’s ongoing dedication to innovation, excellence and customer service, as well as its established leadership in the production of choline, the main highlights of the project include:  

• Increased production capacity: Choline production capacity has increased by approximately 50% thanks to the extension of the facility by almost 2,230 sqm, to accommodate state-of-the-art machinery and equipment. 
• Enhanced Technology and Quality: The investment included a significant upgrade in technology, such as new heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, alongside packaging automation to ensure better environmental conditions. The new installations will also result in improved air quality and process consistency to optimize the regulation of heat and humidity, for higher-quality solutions.  
• Environmental and Sustainability Commitment: As part of its sustainability goals and commitment to the United Nations Global Compact, the company has implemented energy-efficient systems and initiatives to reduce water and waste.   
• Safety: By eliminating manual handling and switching to automated packaging processes, the newly expanded facility boasts enhanced safety in the work environment.  

Speaking further on this important expansion, Mr. Boned also said,

“We are actively expanding our global footprint so we can support customers by providing quality ingredients in all markets. This expansion bolsters our U.S. supply chain and, when combined with our Italian VitaCholine^® site and the Norwegian K2VITAL^® site, positions us well for future growth. Our international presence, combined with the synergies among our integrated branded ingredients, enables us to offer formulators a scientific advantage in strategic health areas, unlocking new opportunities.” 

Frédéric Boned, Senior VP and General Manager, Balchem Human Nutrition and Health

For more information, contact us today.

References:

1. Nutrition Business Journal, Condition Specific report, 2023 

2. Marie A.Caudill, Barbara J. Strupp, Laura Muscalu, Julie E. H. Nevins, and Richard L.Canfield, Maternal choline supplementation during the third trimester of pregnancy improves infant information processing speed: a randomized, double-blind controlled feeding study, FASEB J. 32, 2172 -2180 (2018) 

3. Charlotte L. Bahnfleth, Barbara J. Strupp, Marie A. Caudill, Richard L. Canfield, Prenatal choline supplementation improves child sustained attention: A 7-year follow-up of a randomized controlled feeding trial, FASEB J. 26, 2021, https://doi.org/10.1096/fj.202101217R 

4. Lu Liu, Song Qiao, Liying Zhuang, Shanhu Xu, Linhui Chen, Qilun Lai and Wenfeng Wang, Choline Intake Correlates with Cognitive Performance among Elder Adults in the United States, Behavioural Neurology, 2021, https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/2962245 

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