St. Louis-based Sensient Colors LLC, a business unit of Sensient Technologies Corp., announced that its Sensient Food Colors Europe production facility achieved ISO 14001 certification for environmental management from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

David Michael & Co., Philadelphia, signed a distribution agreement with Acacia Special Chemicals, Johannesburg, South Africa. As a result, Acacia now will be David Michael’s distribution and innovation partner in Sub-Saharan Africa. In other news, David Michael & Co. announced plans to tour the East Coast in a 34-foot bus to share and gather ideas surrounding the latest taste and product trends in the industry. “The Great Escape to Innovate” tour will visit locations such as farmers markets, specialty shops, chef’s kitchens, and research and distribution centers throughout the 2013 summer.

Wellmune WGP, the natural immune health ingredient for foods, beverages and supplements from Biothera, Eagan, Minn., was awarded “Outstanding Application in Health Management” during the Nutraceutical Business & Technology (NBT) Awards event at Vitafoods Europe in May in Geneva.

Ingredion Inc., Westchester, Ill., published its white paper, “Q-Naturale SF: A High Performance Non-Cariogenic Encapsulation Matrix,” which discusses how the company’s new ingredient solution delivers superior encapsulation performance compared with alternative options available on the market.

Bell Flavors & Fragrances, Northbrook, Ill., opened a state-of-the-art innovation center in Guadalajara, Mexico, which services the Mexican and Central American markets. The facility is equipped as a culinary center with three test kitchens focused on developing and tailoring Bell’s sweet, beverage and savory flavors for distinct, locally relevant taste preferences. The facility also was designed with two creation labs for flavors that will focus on the next level of olfactory molecule creation, the company says.

Ottens Flavors, Philadelphia, appointed Negin Sharafbafi as senior food technologist on the company’s innovation team.

Tate & Lyle, London, announced that its sales increased 5 percent during fiscal year 2013 compared with 2012. It also recently acquired Biovelop, a Swedish manufacturer of oat beta glucan under the brand name PromOat for use in the food, beverage and supplement markets. Biovelop also produces a range of other oat-based ingredients including PrOATein oat protein, oat dextrin and insoluble oat fiber. Furthermore, Tate & Lyle announced the opening of its Technical Service Centre in Mexico City. The new facility applies the latest technology available for sweeteners, wellness ingredients and texturants, including a multi-functional and scale-up high-performance colloid mill, a pilot-scale convection oven, and a high-precision texture analyzer to test the application and behavior of its products.

Holzminden, Germany-based Symrise AG reported a sales increase of 8 percent at local currency in the first quarter of 2013 compared with the prior-year period. Sales also were up 11 percent in emerging markets, it noted.

Cargill, Minneapolis, launched childhood-nutrition.com to provide ideas for solving formulation challenges associated with creating kids’ products that are healthier and taste great, it says. The website was designed to connect food makers with updates on nutrition news, government policy, stakeholder actions and consumer trends that are shaping the rapidly changing landscape surrounding childhood nutrition.

Working under an exclusive strategic alliance, DSM Nutritional Products, Parsippany, N.J., and Kemin Industries Inc., Des Moines, Iowa, reported that the nutritional intake of lutein, zeaxanthin and omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids might be beneficial for patients affected by age-related macular degeneration, according to a new study. The Lutega study, published in JAMA Ophthalmology, demonstrates that supplementation with a combination of lutein, zeaxanthin, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) can result in increased concentrations of lutein, zeaxanthin and fatty acids in plasma and a significant improvement in the optical density of the macular pigment.

Clearwater, Fla.-based Monin Gourmet Flavorings, a provider of premium syrups and flavoring products, has developed monin.com. The new website supports beverage professionals by providing flavor trends, seasonal inspiration, new product information, and thousands of recipes, the company says.

Treatt PLC, Lakeland, Fla., launched a new website, treatt.com, that was designed to be more user-friendly, informative and easy to navigate, it says.