Solvay Aroma Performance to establish vanillin production facility in China

Solvay Aroma Performance, a business unit of Belgian chemical company Solvay, has announced plans to establish a new vanillin production facility in Zhenjiang City, China.

The new facility will boost the company’s production capacity by 40%, allowing it to better cater to the fast-growing Asian market.

The facility, which will comply with stringent international and local regulations, is expected to be operational by the end of 2014.

With this investment, Solvay Aroma Performance will establish a fully integrated vanillin platform, spread over three continents, which controls the entire production chain, from the manufacture of the raw material catechol to end products such as Rhovanil vanillin.

Solvay noted that the new facility will significantly expand its worldwide production capacities for vanillin and ethyl-vanillin.

Solvay Aroma Performance president Dominique Rage said that the new manufacturing facility in China will make Solvay a uniquely positioned, reliable partner for its worldwide customers, especially those in the highly regulated food industry.

"It is an important step in our strategy to continue strengthening our market position, by offering a truly global production footprint that ensures full traceability for food safety and to consolidate Solvay as the global reference for food-safe vanillin," Rage added.

Vanillin is the primary component of the extract of the vanilla bean, and is used by ice cream, chocolate and baking industries as a flavouring agent.

The Solvay Aroma Performance global business unit includes Solvay’s diphenol and fluorinated intermediates operations, and it offers vanillin and ethyl-vanillin products under the Rhovanil and Rhodiarome brands.