Extension of partnership provides ingredient solutions for the food and beverage customers across Latin America

MEXICO CITY, June 28, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Univar Solutions México, S. De R.L. de C.V., a subsidiary of Univar Solutions Inc. (NYSE: UNVR) ("Univar Solutions" or "the Company"), a leading global commodity and specialty chemical and ingredient distributor and provider of value-added services, announced today it has expanded its Ingredients & Specialties (I&S) portfolio through a new exclusive distribution agreement with Kalsec®, Inc. in Mexico. Univar Solutions will become the sole and exclusive distributor in Mexico of Kalsec® products, encompassing their Taste and Sensory Solutions, Colors and Food Protection business units.

"We are excited to expand our already extensive food ingredients business through our relationship with Kalsec. This agreement allows Univar Solutions to be even more valuable to our customers and help solve their toughest challenges, develop more innovative and sustainable products and reduce time to market," said Jorge Buckup, president for Univar Solutions in Latin America. "With this exclusive authorization, we continue to strengthen our product portfolio, expand our ability to meet the needs of customers across Mexico and Latin America, and drive new growth opportunities through higher performing and more innovative and sustainable solutions."

Kalsec's products are derived from natural herbs, spices and vegetables, and are translated into easy-to-use liquid extracts. Kalsec's expertise and resources encompass a full line of natural, innovative products and solutions to meet the challenges faced by food and beverage manufacturers, globally. The addition of Kalsec's innovative products bring a suite of ingredients to Univar Solutions' leading specialty portfolio for food and beverage manufacturers at the cutting edge of industry and culinary trends.

Partnering with Kalsec helps position Univar Solutions to deliver on its Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) goals through responsible product sourcing and long-term supplier partnerships. As one of only 4,000-plus businesses certified as a B Corporation, Kalsec meets the highest verified standards of sustainability, social responsibility, innovation and community engagement. This agreement will bring new representation in Mexico markets for Univar Solutions.

"This announcement follows the successful partnership launch with Kalsec in Europe in 2021, enhancing our value in core technical applications and our continued commitment to sustainability," said Kevin Hack, vice president of food ingredients for Univar Solutions. "We are excited to extend this partnership with Kalsec in Latin America by introducing their complete line of naturally sourced taste, colours and antioxidants extracts to our strong customer connections in Mexico. We have a fully functional Solution Center in Mexico to support and drive innovation, and our local team of scientists, chefs and culinary experts will bring technical, logistical, regulatory and processing capabilities to our local customer network."

Kalsec's high quality and innovative ingredient solutions help deliver on the consumer's sensory profile from taste, texture and mouthfeel. Products, applications and ingredients expected to be produced from the agreement include plant-based foods, baking and confections, batters and breadings, soups, sauces, dressings, marinades, snacks, pickled products, meat and poultry, seasonings and beverages. As a global partner to Kalsec's customers and suppliers, Univar Solutions offers customers ingredients, formulation services and an expanded portfolio for food product development.

"We have been operating for over a decade in Mexico, providing our customers with excellence in local service, support and supply of natural Kalsec solutions," said Aaron Wheadon, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Kalsec. "As we are continually striving to optimize how we support customers in Mexico, we are delighted to be working with a market-leader in Univar Solutions, who shares our values in sustainable sourcing and with providing customers the service and products they need to create the highest quality foods and beverages."

For more information about Univar Solutions food ingredients business, visit https://www.univarsolutions.com/foodology.

About Univar Solutions
Univar Solutions (NYSE: UNVR) is leading global commodity and specialty chemical distributor representing a premier portfolio from the world's leading producers. With the industry's largest private transportation fleet and technical sales force, unparalleled logistics know-how, deep market and regulatory knowledge, formulation and recipe development, and leading digital tools, the Company is well-positioned to offer tailored solutions and value-added services to a wide range of markets, industries and applications. While fulfilling its purpose to help keep communities healthy, fed, clean and safe, Univar Solutions is committed to helping customers and suppliers innovate and focus on Growing Together. Learn more at univarsolutions.com.

About Kalsec Inc.
Kalsec provides innovative spice and herb extracts, colours, antioxidants and advanced hop products to the food and beverage industries. We capture the best nature has to offer and utilize the skills, experience and knowledge of our employees to make products look better, taste better and last longer. Kalsec has remained family owned and provides localized support to our global customers. Trusted since 1958, Kalsec is committed to providing value to the food and beverage industry for the next 100 years. Headquartered in Kalamazoo, Michigan, U.S., Kalsec has regional offices, laboratories and sales teams in North America, Europe and Asia. As a certified B Corp, Kalsec makes ethical and sustainable decisions that serve our customers, employees, communities and the environment. We are proud to be using our business as a force for good. For more information, visit www.kalsec.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes certain statements relating to future events and our intentions, beliefs, expectations, and predictions for the future, which are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.  Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which may be beyond the Company's control. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the expectations and assumptions. A detailed discussion of these factors and uncertainties is contained in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Potential factors that could affect such forward-looking statements include, among others: the ultimate geographic spread of the COVID-19 pandemic; the duration and severity of the COVID-19 pandemic; actions that may be taken by governmental authorities to address or otherwise mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic; the potential negative impacts of COVID-19 on the global economy and our customers and suppliers; the overall impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business, results of operations and financial condition; other fluctuations in general economic conditions, particularly in industrial production and the demands of our customers; significant changes in the business strategies of producers or in the operations of our customers; increased competitive pressures, including as a result of competitor consolidation; significant changes in the pricing, demand and availability of chemicals; our levels of indebtedness, the restrictions imposed by our debt instruments, and our ability to obtain additional financing when needed; the broad spectrum of laws and regulations that we are subject to, including extensive environmental, health and safety laws and regulations; an inability to integrate the business and systems of companies we acquire, including of Nexeo Solutions, Inc., or to realize the anticipated benefits of such acquisitions; potential business disruptions and security breaches, including cybersecurity incidents; an inability to generate sufficient working capital; increases in transportation and fuel costs and changes in our relationship with third party providers; accidents, safety failures, environmental damage, product quality and liability issues and recalls; major or systemic delivery failures involving our distribution network or the products we carry; operational risks for which we may not be adequately insured; ongoing litigation and other legal and regulatory risks; challenges associated with international operations; exposure to interest rate and currency fluctuations; potential impairment of goodwill; liabilities associated with acquisitions, ventures and strategic investments; negative developments affecting our pension plans and multi-employer pensions; labor disruptions associated with the unionized portion of our workforce; and the other factors described in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We caution you that the forward-looking information presented in this press release is not a guarantee of future events or results, and that actual events or results may differ materially from those made in or suggested by the forward-looking information contained in this press release. In addition, forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may," "plan," "seek, "will," "expect," "intend," "estimate," "anticipate," "believe" or "continue" or the negative thereof or variations thereon or similar terminology. Any forward-looking information presented herein is made only as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information to reflect changes in assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events, or otherwise, except as required by law.

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SOURCE Univar Solutions Inc.