RECENT NEWS

Gryphon Investors has acquired Vivify Specialty Ingredients, in partnership with current family owner Aakash Shah, who will stay on the board of directors, and the management. CEO Devlin Riley and other senior managers will remain in place.

The Jungbunzlauer Group has announced that Bruno Tremblay has been appointed as its CEO from 1 May. This follows a decision by existing CEO Tom Knutzen to retire after nearly ten years in the role, although he will remain a board member at the firm

Phospholipid supplier Novastell has shared insight into two of the biggest trends fuelling personal care and beauty in 2022: nutricosmetics and nootropics.

The Humane Cosmetics Actcame into force on 1 January in the US state of Virginia, preventing cosmetics manufacturer from conducting or contracting for cosmetic animal testing there. It also bans the sale of cosmetics tested on animals from 1 July.

French white biotech firm Lantana Bio and Danish biotech Biosyntia have signed an in-licensing deal for flavonoids.

Speciality ingredients firm Vertellus has acquired Jarchem Innovative Ingredients of Newark, New Jersey. Terms were not disclosed.

BASF Care Chemicals has announced plans to build a 1,500 tonnes/year plant to make its Uvinul A Plus brand of UVA filters at Jinshan, China, in addition to existing production at Ludwigshafen in Germany. This should come onstream in 1H 2023.

James Robinson Speciality Ingredients (JRSI) has launched a dedicated 186 m2 biotechnology R&D facility called the Biotome division in Manchester. The company is seeking to focus more on naturally derived products for the personal care market.

Switzerland’s DKSH has acquired the distribution business of Spanish firm HealthTech BioActives (HTBA), which produces and distributes a flavours, ingredients, additives and intermediates to the food, pharmaceutical and personal care industry.

Petronas Chemicals Group (PCG) operation BRB International has officially opened a GMP blending facility in the vicinity of PCG’s petrochemical complex in Gebeng, Kuantan, Malaysia. This has 8,000 tonnes/year of capacity.

Two French banks, Bpifrance and BNP Paribas Développement, have both taken minority stakes in Herbarom, which the company will use “to launch a new growth phase”. The amounts involved were not disclosed.

Prime Matter Labs, a Florida-based contract manufacturer of beauty and personal care products, has appointed Aaron Paas as its new CEO.

During its 75th Annual Scientific Meeting and Technology Showcase breakfast in New York City in mid-December, the Society of Cosmetic Chemists presented the Joseph P. Ciaudelli Award to Dr Roger L. McMullen, principal scientist at Ashland.

According to a new study funded by P&G and published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, Camellia sinensis (green tea) extracts can be used as treatments for hair protection. This efficacy is linked to extract concentrations of catechins.

Bitop has performed new efficacy studies on its extremolytes, Ectoin Natural (INCI: Ectoin) and Glycoin Natural (INCI: Glyceryl Glucoside). It found that both protect the viability of the skin microbiome, while also offering blue light protection.

Arkema has announces a 50% global capacity expansion for its Oleris range of advanced biomaterials at its previously announced major bio-factory, which is currently under construction on Jurong Island in Singapore. This is due to start in mid-2022

Firmenich has commissioned a new multi-purpose production unit for renewable perfumery ingredients at its facility in Castets, south-western France.

Kensing and Azelis have signed an exclusive distribution agreement for Kensing’s vegetable-oil-based vitamins and phytosterols Covi-ox, Covitol, Copherol and Generol in the food and health, nutrition and personal care markets in the EMEA region.

Israeli firm TriNutra has announced a new patent-pending study and review on the phytochemical compound thymoquinone (TQ) found in Nigella sativa (black seed) oil.

North Carolina-based Active Micro Technologies has developed and patented a range of natural multi-functional ingredients combining cosmetic functionality with antimicrobial activity. These include aqueous, oil-soluble, anhydrous and powders.