Blue Pacific Flavors Announces Strategic Investment by Wilmar International Limited

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CITY OF INDUSTRY, Calif., Feb. 2, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Pacific Flavors, a leading developer and manufacturer of natural and organic-compliant fruit flavors, announces a strategic capital investment by Asia's leading agribusiness group, Wilmar International Limited. Blue Pacific Flavors joins Wilmar International Limited's group of associated companies.

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Blue Pacific Flavors will maintain all domestic production of flavors and ingredients for its U.S. clientele from its headquarters manufacturing facility and R&D center in City of Industry, Calif. The company will continue all global operations including its facilities in China, offices in Malaysia, South Korea and the Philippines. Donald Wilkes remains unchanged in his role as CEO and Chairman of Blue Pacific Flavors' Board of Directors.

Headquartered in Singapore, Wilmar's business activities include oil palm cultivation, oilseeds crushing, edible oils refining, sugar milling and refining, specialty fats, oleochemicals, biodiesel and fertilizers manufacturing and grains processing. The company has more than 300 manufacturing plants and a distribution network throughout China, India, Indonesia and some 50 other countries.

Wilmar's Chairman and CEO Kuok Khoon Hong and Chief Scientific Advisor Professor Chua Nam-Hai join the Blue Pacific Flavors' Board of Directors.

"Wilmar's supply chain enables us to expand our capabilities and distribution in whole fruit and grain based food flavoring and natural food ingredients," said Blue Pacific Flavors CEO Donald F. Wilkes. "The dynamics of this partnership will exponentially grow our Chinese and Southeast Asian manufacturing footprint and distribution to a wide range of new customers, while also supporting our North America business and core customer base."

The investment allows Blue Pacific Flavors to focus on continuing its leadership in true-fruit and whole food flavor creation while strengthening capabilities in natural flavors and extracts. In addition, the investment will provide significant capital resources and the potential to expand basic flavor research platforms as well as an existing licensing partnership with The New Zealand Institute of Plant and Food Research Ltd.

"Our shared values and passion for innovative, high quality whole food ingredients and natural products will provide many new and exciting growth opportunities as we meet the needs of the evolving, health conscious consumers," added Wilkes.

About Blue Pacific Flavors, Inc.

Since 1993, Blue Pacific Flavors has been a leader in technology driven flavor creation combined with food and beverage application intellectual property solutions. The company's flavor capabilities range from creative development to new product development and duplication. Blue Pacific provides its customers an international spectrum of innovation, expertise and tradition for quality, service and value. Industries served include the food, beverage, dairy, bakery, confectionery, prepared food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic and chemical specialties sectors. The company uses only the finest natural and synthetic raw materials available and manufactures all products under Kosher and Halal supervision, as well as GRAS and FEMA guidelines. Blue Pacific Flavors follows GMP and AIB guidelines and certification. For more information, visit www.bluepacificflavors.com.

About Wilmar

Wilmar International Limited, founded in 1991 and headquartered in Singapore, is today Asia's leading agribusiness group.  Wilmar is ranked amongst the largest listed companies by market capitalisation on the Singapore Exchange.

Wilmar's business activities include oil palm cultivation, oilseeds crushing, edible oils refining, sugar milling and refining, specialty fats, oleochemicals, biodiesel and fertilisers manufacturing and grains processing. At the core of Wilmar's strategy is a resilient integrated agribusiness model that encompasses the entire value chain of the agricultural commodity processing business, from origination and processing to branding, merchandising and distribution of a wide range of agricultural products. It has over 300 manufacturing plants that are supported by its own fleet of vessels serving an extensive distribution network covering China, India, Indonesia and some 50 other countries. The Group is backed by a multinational workforce of more than 88,000 people.

Wilmar's portfolio of high quality processed agricultural products is the preferred choice of the food manufacturing industry, as well as the industrial and consumer food catering businesses. Its consumer-packed products occupy a leading share in its targeted markets. Through scale, integration and the logistical advantages of its business model, Wilmar is able to extract margins at every step of the value chain, thereby reaping operational synergies and cost efficiencies. Wilmar remains a firm advocate of sustainable growth and is committed to its role as a responsible corporate citizen.

SOURCE Blue Pacific Flavors