The board of Chr. Hansen Holding may put its global food ingredients business up for sale. The ingredients operation — which includes cultures, enzymes, colors, flavors, seasonings and sweeteners — posted a 7 percent organic growth in North America in 2004. The Milwaukee-based company attributes much of that growth to its Easy-Set dairy culture system. Chr. Hansen Holding also owns ALK-Abello, which develops and produces allergy vaccines. Major shareholder Lundbeck Foundation has roots in the pharmaceutical industry and wants to pull out of long-term investment in an ingredients company. Chr. Hansen Holding’s board says plans to split the company into two independently listed companies have been in the works for about three years. Company officials say finding a new owner could take some time but maintain it will be business as usual.

Danisco Sweeteners has signed a joint venture agreement with Chinese company Henan Tangyin Yuxin Co. Ltd. to produce xylitol and xylose for the Chinese and international markets.  The joint venture will give Ardsley, N.Y.-based Danisco a majority share and expand the ingredient maker’s presence in China where the company already produces ingredients for the global food and pharmaceutical markets. The new company will be called Danisco Sweeteners Co. Ltd.

Philadelphia-based David Michael & Co. completed its reorganization by renaming its European subsidiary David Michael Europe S.A.S. The flavors company also unveiled its newly renovated Web site, www.dmflavors.com. Features include monthly recipes and registration for Fast Track Trends e-mail updates. Visitors can register to receive a free copy of the company’s report “Children’s Choices for Eating Healthy.”

Researchers from 11 countries gathered recently in Napa, Calif., to discuss the future of genomic research into milk and its health benefits at the International Symposium on the Milk Genome and Human Health, sponsored by the California Dairy Research Foundation. The symposium was an offshoot of a project currently underway at University of California-Davis and involves researchers from several countries including the United States to build databanks with genes from milk. Topics included biology of lactation, bioactive molecules in milk, genetics of bovine milk composition, use of tools like microarrays to examine gene expression in bovine mammary tissue and principles for design and analysis of experiments using gene expression arrays and other high-throughput assay methods. A second International Symposium on Milk Genomics & Human Health is scheduled in November.

The board of directors of Milwaukee-based Sensient Technologies Corp. has declared a regular quarterly cash dividend on its common stock of 15 cents per share. The cash dividend will be paid March 1.

Allen Flavors Inc. has expanded its Edison, N.J., headquarters to include a 35,000-square-foot laboratory and production facility dedicated exclusively to quality assurance and sensory functions.