Degussa Texturant Systems, a unit of the German speciality chemicals comapny, has been awarded Cert-ID non-GMO System Certification for its lecithin production system at the Decatur, Illinois, production site in the US.
The company already holds Cert-ID System Certification for its lecithin plants in Zaandam, Netherlands, and Hamburg, Germany. Degussa Texturant Systems in Decatur is the first North American company to obtain this non-GMO System Certification for a lecithin production system.
Cert-ID is a global company that provides third-party non-GMO certification programmes to food ingredient producers, food manufacturers and food retailers. The company offers traceability solutions that deliver clarity, certainty and security from farm to fork. Cert-ID non-GMO certification promotes an increased sense of confidence among suppliers and customers along the entire food supply chain, Degussa claimed.
The new Cert-ID non-GMO System Certification for Degussa Texturant Systems covers the Decatur plant's production system for fluid, de-oiled and fractionated lecithins. As a result, it is now possible for Degussa Texturant Systems in Decatur to supply its customers with a full range of non-GMO certified lecithins, further improving the quality and security of Degussa customers' end consumer products.
With this new certification, Degussa Texturant Systems is now capable of meeting exactly the same non-GMO product quality standards at its three production sites in Decatur, Zaandam and Hamburg. This gives Degussa's customers faster delivery times, lower costs and better proximity of customer service.
In addition, upcoming EU regulations concerning imports of consumer products containing lecithin (such as chocolate bars) will no longer be a barrier for US food producers wishing to sell their products into the EU. Degussa's Decatur plant will now be able to provide US food producers with lecithin that will be in full compliance with EU regulations.
Lecithin has a number of applications in the bakery sector, including increasing the shortening effect of fats and decreasing dough mixing time.