Des Moines, Iowa-based Kemin AgriFoods North America Inc. and Kemin Nutrisurance Inc. have received ISO 9001:2000 certification. Auditors with Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance recommended the renewal of certification following on-site visits in August at the Kemin facilities in Iowa and Texas. The certification is good for three years.

After three years of dedicated work, scientists at Chr. Hansen A/S may be on the brink of a breakthrough. The company’s researchers have discovered a lactic acid bacteria that, when consumed in a cultured dairy product such as yogurt and potentially other food products, may reduce high blood pressure. The culture, named Cardi-04™, has been shown to reduce high blood pressure in animal studies.

La Crosse, Wis.-based Main Street Ingredients has announced a new building addition that will add more than 40,000 square feet of manufacturing and warehouse space. The company also announced some remodeling plans that could include a new research and development area and a variety of new laboratories. “The new building project follows our projected growth plan,” says Dave Clark, chief executive officer of Main Street Ingredients. “It will compliment the large building expansion we had in 2002 and installation and commissioning of our new advanced technology agglomeration system.” The addition is expected to be completed by spring 2005.

J.M. Huber Corp. has acquired CP Kelco. Huber entered into a stock purchase agreement to acquire CP Kelco ApS from Lehman Brothers Merchant Banking Partners II LP in July 2004 after acquiring a minority ownership stake from Hercules Inc. in February 2004. Rothschild Inc. acted as exclusive financial advisor to Huber.

Cargill Health & Food Technologies’ (H&FT) OptaFlex natural chondroitin has received the verification mark from U.S. Pharmacopeia’s (USP) Ingredient Verification Program. The USP program is a rigorous, multi-step process that includes an evaluation of good manufacturing practices (GMP) compliance, review of quality control (QC) documents and laboratory testing of lots for compliance with the USP monograph for the chondroitin sulfate sodium.

FMC BioPolymer, a division of FMC Corp., Philadelphia, plans to implement an average price increase of 7 to 8 percent for selected food-grade carrageenan products. These increases apply to pricing worldwide and will take effect December 1 or as contracts allow. Significant sustained increases in raw material, energy and freight costs are factors driving the need to raise prices, the company says.

Omega Protein Corp. has entered into a manufacturing and supply agreement with National Starch and Chemical Co. making Omega Protein the exclusive provider for 100 percent of National Starch’s requirements for long-chain omega-3 fish oil.

Cal Poly’s Dairy Products Technology Center (DPTC) and professor Phil Tong have received a $150,000 grant from the California State University Agricultural Research Initiative for a study aimed at helping dairy processors improve their ability to produce dairy foods and beverages with a longer shelf life. Tong and the DPTC research team will be looking at dairy food-processing techniques and how they interact to produce high or poor quality and shelf life in the end product.