Univar Solutions and Kalsec® Inc. Strengthen Partnership in Europe with Expanded Agreement for a Wide Range of Food Ingredient Solutions

New agreement will benefit customers in France, Belgium, and the Netherlands and builds on the companies' existing relationship in Europe, Colombia, and Mexico

ROTTERDAM, Netherlands and KALAMAZOO, Mich., Aug. 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Univar B.V., a subsidiary of Univar Solutions Inc. ("Univar Solutions" or "the Company"), a leading global solutions provider to users of specialty ingredients and chemicals, and Kalsec^® Inc., a natural ingredient solution provider for the food and beverage industry, have expanded their food ingredients distribution agreement to include three additional European countries. The new agreement authorizes Univar Solutions to exclusively distribute Kalsec's natural taste & sensory, colors, and food protection ingredient solutions for savory applications in France, Belgium, and the Netherlands.

"We started our journey with Kalsec in 2021 to bring our customers more taste, natural color, and antioxidant solutions across a broad range of specialty food applications, and we are elated to have the opportunity to grow our partnership in more European markets," said Kevin Hack, global vice president of food ingredients for Univar Solutions. "By offering a vast selection of Kalsec's quality, natural ingredients to more customers in Europe, we're helping to shape the future of food by providing innovative and sustainable solutions, recipe development, reach, and distribution."

From specialty ingredient innovation to recipe testing, food brands of all sizes turn to Foodology by Univar Solutions for help with tackling product development challenges. The organization's knowledgeable in-house scientists refresh and develop formulas to enhance the efficacy of products through its food Solution Centers and test kitchens while working toward the Company's purpose to help keep our communities healthy, fed, clean, and safe. Univar Solutions supports the latest food trends such as clean label, plant-based alternatives, and healthy ingredients, and is fully committed to sustainable practices and meeting its environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals.

"Kalsec is a global company that has been serving food manufacturing customers in Europe for over 27 years," said James Smith, vice president and managing director - Europe, for Kalsec. "Growing our pan-European partnership with Univar Solutions enables us to leverage our joint technical and personnel support capabilities to provide additional customers with more natural and sustainable solutions and local expertise. We are pleased to work with a partner that shares our values in supply chain sourcing and helps support our purpose of unlocking the potential of people, nature, and science to nourish the world."

With this expanded authorization, Univar Solutions continues to strengthen its ingredients portfolio, already working closely with Kalsec in Mexico, Colombia, and European countries such as Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and Poland. Univar Solutions is committed to working with premier suppliers like Kalsec, a certified B Corp, that meets the highest verified standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability. 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. Kalsec's products are derived from natural herbs, spices, and vegetables, and are translated into easy-to-use liquid extracts.

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

For more information about Kalsec's portfolio of solutions and its commitment to unlocking the potential of people, nature, and science to nourish the world, visit kalsec.com.

About Univar Solutions
Univar Solutions is a leading global specialty chemical and ingredient 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^® Inc provides innovative taste and sensory, natural food protection, natural colors, and advanced hops solutions to the food and beverage industries. We capture the best nature has to offer and utilize over 60 years of experience and industry leading innovation to make food and beverage products look better, taste better, and last longer. Family owned and headquartered in Kalamazoo, Michigan since 1958, 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 and Information

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Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which may be beyond the Company's control. Potential factors that could affect such forward-looking statements include, among others: general economic conditions, particularly fluctuations in industrial production and consumption and the timing and extent of economic downturns; significant changes in the business strategies of producers or in the operations of customers; increased competitive pressures, including as a result of competitor consolidation; potential supply chain disruptions; significant changes in the pricing, demand and availability of chemicals; potential cybersecurity incidents, including security breaches; the Company's indebtedness, the restrictions imposed by, and costs associated with, its debt instruments, and its ability to obtain additional financing; the broad spectrum of laws and regulations that the Company is subject to, including extensive environmental, health and safety laws and regulations and changes in tax laws; an inability to generate sufficient working capital; transportation related challenges, including increases in transportation and fuel costs, changes in the Company's relationship with third party transportation providers, and ability to attract and retain qualified drivers; accidents, safety failures, environmental damage, product quality issues, delivery failures or hazards and risks related to its operations and the hazardous materials it handles; potential inability to obtain adequate insurance coverage; ongoing litigation, potential product liability claims and recalls, and other environmental, legal and regulatory risks; challenges associated with international operations; exposure to interest rate and currency fluctuations; an inability to integrate the business and systems of companies it acquires, including failure to realize the anticipated benefits of such acquisitions; possible impairment of goodwill and intangible assets; its ability to attract or retain a qualified and diverse workforce; negative developments affecting its pension plans and multi-employer pensions; labor disruptions associated with the unionized portion of its workforce; its ability to execute on its initiatives and goals related to environmental, social, and governance ("ESG") matters and the increasing legal and regulatory focus on ESG; the impacts resulting from the conflict in Ukraine or related geopolitical tensions; the ability of the Company to successfully recover from a disaster or other business continuity problem due to a hurricane, flood, earthquake, terrorist attack, war, conflict, pandemic, security breach, cyber-attack, power loss, telecommunications failure or other natural or man-made event, including the ability to function remotely during long-term disruptions such as the COVID-19 pandemic; the impact of public health crises, such as pandemics (including the COVID-19 pandemic) and epidemics and any related Company or governmental policies and actions to protect the health and safety of individuals or governmental policies or actions to maintain the functioning of national or global economies and markets, including any quarantine, "shelter in place," "stay at home," workforce reduction, social distancing, shut down or similar actions and policies; actions by third parties, including government agencies; and the other factors described in the Company's filings with the SEC. For additional information concerning factors that could cause actual results and events to differ materially from those projected herein, please refer to the Company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, and to other documents filed by the Company with the SEC. We caution you that the forward-looking information presented in this communication 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 communication.

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