Innovation

The appearance of food impacts the customer’s perception of that food as well as how it tastes, so manufacturers of prepared foods also use colors in their foods to make them more appealing to their customers. Kalsec specializes in converting colors from fruits and vegetables, producing colors that are natural and healthy for the consumer.

The safety and shelf life of foods are also addressed by the naturally sourced food protection that Kalsec produces. Through their business-to-business model, Kalsec sells naturally sourced antioxidants into the food and beverage industry. Using their innovative process, they turn farm fresh agricultural products like rosemary into a natural liquid for use in food products.

In addition, Kalsec provides natural antimicrobial products that work in conjunction with their rosemary-based antioxidant, a combination that is unique in the industry. Kalsec’s DuraShield blends help to reduce spoilage in chicken by preventing the growth of Listeria monocytogenes, a contributor to foodborne illness. Their clean label products are meant to extend the shelf life of food, reducing waste in a sustainable manner.

Kalsec Video

Inspiration

“...We hold nature in awesome respect,” Paul H Todd, Jr., Founder of Kalsec. Paul H Todd, Jr. was intentional about creating quality products derived from natural ingredients. He used his passion for chemistry and innovation, together with his love and respect for nature to form Kalsec. From the top of the company down, there is a conscious drive to do better and be continuously aware of their impact on customers, families, communities, and the planet.

Their full line of natural products provides healthy solutions solving many challenges that face the food industry. When a customer goes to the store to purchase groceries or decides to eat out at a restaurant, they do not often think of all that goes into the making of the food; from regulatory and quality issues, food safety, and agricultural issues as the food goes through the supply chain. Kalsec takes all the behind-the-scenes processes of food manufacturing to heart by starting the process naturally.

Overall impact

Kalsec lives its global mission, to "capture the best nature has to offer, allowing us to provide creative solutions to those who seek safer, healthier, more flavorful and more attractive foods, beverages and functional ingredients.”

Kalsec has more than sixty years of history as a sustainable business and is committed to providing value to the food and beverage industry with sustainable practices for the next 100 years. Their diligence and long-term view have continued to make an impact by taking care of people, the planet and being integrated into communities.

As an industry leader, they have led the way as a sustainable company. The impact that they have made by addressing some of the major problems in the food industry, such as health-related impacts of food and food spoilage are revolutionary in their field. The way that they are working with their supply chain by offering living wages and ethical work environments for everyone in their global work community encourages employees to influence their local communities and make a difference.

Business benefit

Kalsec is immensely proud to be a certified B Corporation with a legacy of social responsibility and many years of sustainable business practices. Their B-Corp certification is a reflection that they meet superior standards of environmental performance and are using their business for good. The B-Corp status has deepened the legacy of the company as they join a community of like-minded businesses and business leaders.

Kalsec upholds high standards throughout the entire supply chain by offering living wages and treating employees with respect. Additional ways that they invest in their employees’ families is by offering an early learning center for employee’s children at their headquarters, paid volunteer hours, and many other benefits. These efforts have benefited the company by investing in quality employees and making their employees feel valued while increasing satisfaction in employment and employee retention.

Through sustainable practices, the company has been able to increase the yield of its crop significantly in several of its key product lines. What this accomplishes for the company is a need for less fertilizer and less water. This has, in turn, helped the environment while it decreases their manufacturing need, leading to fewer carbon emissions and a decreased environmental impact

Social and environmental benefit

Planet, people, and profitability weave together in the business model that Kalsec has created. Their B Corporation certification has solidified their focus on the essentially important aspects of social and environmental responsibility. By investing in people and the workplace, operating ethically, protecting the planet, creating products and solutions, and strengthening communities, Kalsec’s core values permeate the way they operate. Mark Staples, Executive Director of Global Marketing states, “It truly is in the DNA of this company to be socially responsible, to do things naturally, to support the community, and also to do what’s right for our customers.”

The social impact is seen in many ways as the company invests in the communities around them by making socially conscious business choices and investing in ways that protect the planet. Promoting spending time in and influencing the community, Kalsec provides paid time off for their employees to volunteer in their own communities. The Asian branch of the company was even influential in supporting flood victims in India, making social responsibility a global culture for the company.

Kalsec depends on natural resources like water, farmland, and solar energy. They strive to be responsible and respect the environment as well as the communities where they work. Practical ways they do this are by offering electric vehicle stations and compostable cutlery for sensory tests. While keeping the problem of climate change at the forefront of their decisions, the company set a goal to reduce their hazardous air pollutants by 60% by the year 2019. Their efforts to reduce air pollutants were successful in reducing their hazardous air pollutants by an impressive 88%, far exceeding their goal. Environmental impacts are being made in their responsible sourcing program as well as their participation with the Sustainable Agricultural Initiative. In efforts to reduce water usage, Kalsec has invested in a system that recycles 50% of wastewater flow to irrigate their agricultural land.

While the world was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, Kalsec witnessed their values come to the forefront as the company kept their employees, community, and customers protected while keeping the food supply chain going in a safe and sustainable way.

Through over sixty years of excellence, Kalsec is continuing to provide safer, healthier, and more attractive foods through its business-to-business model. Through producing spice extracts to give prepared foods consistent flavoring, extracting colors from fruits and vegetables for natural coloring options, to preventing spoilage of food, Kalsec is a vital part of the foods we eat every day. With an emphasis on sustainability, they leave the earth better because they exist.

Interviews

Aaron Wheadon, Senior Vice President-Sales and Marketing

Jim Justice, Senior VP of Corporate Responsibility & Resource Management

Mark Staples, Executive Director of Global Marketing