Univar Inc., Downers Grove, Ill., a chemical and ingredient distributor and provider of value-added services, said it entered into a strategic long-term agreement with the Food Ingredients & Bio Industrial business of Minneapolis-based Cargill in the United States and Canada. Customers will get access to Cargill's product lines and Univar's distribution network and access to food innovators.

Univar said it offers a diverse portfolio of specialty and commodity food ingredients from suppliers that support a variety of food and beverage categories and applications. Univar is also home to a consultative team of experts that provide recommendations on industry trends, regulatory issues and supply chain solutions.  

The Cargill food ingredients portfolio provides formulators access to products such as cocoa, chocolate, starches, sweeteners, texturizers and oils. This wide range of ingredients supports gluten-free, clean-label, "free-from" certifications and other trends in food formulations, Univar said. The collaboration strengthens Univar’s portfolio of food ingredient brands and products in the dairy, bakery, prepared foods, snacks, beverage, meat, poultry and seafood categories.