BASF Restructuring Vitamin C Production

BASF Restructuring Vitamin C Production

WILMINGTON, N.C.--BASF (www.basf.com)will close its crystalline vitamin C synthesis line at its manufacturing sitehere by July 2002; it will continue to run granulation and packaging operationsout of the site. BASF obtained the location in the acquisition of Takeda's bulkvitamins business in January 2001.

The move is designed to focus manufacturing efforts on directly compressibleforms of vitamin C at Wilmington to retain price competitiveness in the region,according to Mike Doyle, director of human nutrition for BASF's Fine ChemicalsRegional Business Unit. The company will continue to manufacture crystallinevitamin C at its site in Denmark and to source it from Takeda's Hikari, Japan,site. Approximately 70 employees in Wilmington will be affected by the change inoperations.