FMC breaks ground on Thai MCC facility

FMC Corporation has broken ground on a new microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) manufacturing facility in Rayong, Thailand. The company will invest more than $100 million in the region’s first fully-integrated colloidal MCC manufacturing and blending site to supply the growing Asia market with FMC’s MCC.

The new facility is expected to come on line in late 2014 and will be fully integrated with MCC production, blending, packaging and warehousing. The Thailand facility will initially manufacture colloidal MCC, which is widely used as a key ingredient in food and beverages. However, the facility’s design will allow for future volume expansion and the manufacture of different product lines for both the food and pharmaceutical markets.

The Rayong facility will be FMC’s third MCC manufacturing facility. FMC recently completed expansion at its BioPolymer MCC sites in Newark in the US and Cork in Ireland. The Rayong plant has been recognised for its sustainability efforts by the Thailand National Innovation Agency.

FMC also plans to broaden its line of food ingredients with the recent acquisitions of natural colours and pectin companies.