PGP International

04/08/2010 : PGP International, Inc. is Featured in Food & Drink Magazine

New Ingredients - PGP International strives to remain competitive through efficient manufacturing and staying committed to new product development.

To review the article in Food & Drink magazine's Summer 2010 issue by Kate Burrows, please click on the following link:

Food & Drink; PGP International, Inc.; Summer 2010

21/05/2010 : PGP International, Inc., has Received Golden Gate Recognition by Cal OSHA

On Tuesday, May 18, 2010, PGP International, Inc., an ABF Ingredients Company headquartered in Woodland, California was awarded the Golden Gate recognition by Cal OSHA Consultation Service. This entry level recognition was site-specific, and was earned through a Cal/OSHA Consultation on-site visit at the facility, and subsequently the company has met the qualifications for Golden Gate recognition.

PGP International, Inc. has a strong commitment to safety. All associates are routinely engaged in work site analysis, hazard prevention and control, and safety and health training. “Safety is more than a priority; it is a core value” said Zachary S. Wochok, CEO of PGP International, Inc., “that has transformed the culture at all of our facilities, and we are honored to have received this recognition.”

About the company:

PGP International, Inc. is a leading player in the manufacture and supply of grain-based and dairy-based ingredients. It has manufacturing sites in Woodland and Colusa, California, Juda, Wisconsin, Springfield, Missouri and a technology center in Eagan, Minnesota. Its corporate office is in Woodland, California. PGP International, Inc. is part of ABF Ingredients, a division of Associated British Foods, plc. For further information regarding this release, please use the following contacts:

USA:

Zachary S. Wochok, toll free 800-333-0110 or 530-662-5056

Jeff Green, toll free 800-333-0110 or 530-662-5056

Brian Crets, toll free 800-333-0110 or 530-662-5056

27/05/2009 : ABF Ingredients Merge Protient Inc. and PGP International

ABF Ingredients, a Division of Associated British Foods plc today announced the merger of two of its U.S. business units. Effective immediately Protient Inc., headquartered in Roseville, Minnesota, U.S. will merge with PGP International, headquartered in Woodland, California, U.S. Zachary S. Wochok, CEO of PGP International will head the combined business which will operate under the PGP International name.

Stephen Catling, CEO of the ABF Ingredients Group, said "Following a review of various operating options, market strategies and customer commonalities it was clear that bringing these two business units into a closer working relationship would prove to be a significant next step in expanding our North American based value-added ingredients platform. PGP International's proven expertise in leading edge product development and applications - serving the sport nutrition, cereal and bar markets, combined with the dairy protein expertise of Protient will be a foundation from which we will grow and expand our capabilities to better serve our customers."

The addition of a high value portfolio of specialty whey protein isolates and hydrolysates both complements and strengthens PGP International's position as a market leader in ingredient based solutions. The company's product portfolio already includes grains, flours, extruded ingredients, beverage bases and specialty lipid products.

Zachary Wochok added, "PGP International recently expanded its product portfolio with the addition of its' sister company, Ohly America's, product Nutri Sperse®, a line of oil-based trans-free nutritional powders, and ABITEC's medium chain triglycerides (MCT) for the food and beverage industries. These new products together with the dairy based proteins from Protient will provide PGP International the opportunity to present a broad array of specialty ingredients to a larger domestic and international customer base."

Today's announcement follows recent press releases involving these two companies; the acquisition of Riverbend Rice, Colusa, California, U.S. by PGP International, the expansion of the whey processing facility in Juda, Wisconsin, U.S. and the commissioning of a new state of the art Technical Center in Eagan, Minnesota, U.S. by Protient Inc.

The merger is expected to take a few months to fully complete, but the company is quick to point out that it will be "business as usual" for customers and suppliers of the two companies during the transition period. The announcement does not affect the continuing operations at any of the PGP International or Protient manufacturing sites.

"We look forward to providing our customers, in the nutritional/sports bar, snack and beverage markets with novel new products and enhanced services as a result." concluded Catling.

About the Companies

PGP International is a leading player in the manufacture and supply of extruded ingredients, rice flour and rice blends to the confectionery, cereal bar and nutrition markets both in the U.S. and selected export markets with manufacturing sites in Woodland and Colusa, California U.S.

Protient, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of dairy ingredients, specializing in dairy proteins for the food, dairy, health and sport nutrition markets. It has manufacturing sites in Juda, Wisconsin, Norfolk, Nebraska and Springfield, Missouri U.S. with a Technology Center in Eagan, Minnesota and its corporate office in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Together PGP International and Protient Inc. are part of the ABF Ingredients group, which as a division of Associated British Foods focuses on high value ingredients for food and non-food applications. It comprises a range of ingredient companies that also includes AB Enzymes, ABITEC, and Ohly.

The ABF Ingredients group has established strong market postions in cereal specialties, emulsifiers, enzymes, esters, extruded ingredients, lactose, specialty lipids, specialty powders, specialty flours, yeast extracts, whey protein concentrates and isolates, milk protein concentrates and isolates with worldwide locations.

For further information regarding this release please use the following contacts:

U.S.: Zachary Wochok, toll free 800 333 0110 or +1 530 662 5056

Europe and ROW: Stephen Catling +44 1733 427819

12/12/2008 : PGP International Donates to Toys for Tots Yolo County

On December 9, 2008, PGP International, An ABF Ingredients Company located in Woodland, CA donated $4,449.00 to Toys for Tots of Yolo County in partnership with the Marine Corps League, Yolo County Detachment 627.

“PGP International’s charity fundraising committee had designated Toys for Tots of Yolo County as their local charity of choice at the beginning of the calendar year,” said Cary Maigret-Baptiste the company’s Charity Ambassador. Associates at our company volunteered their time by organizing and executing a variety of fundraising events during the year at our facility. Events included a bake sale, paleta sale and most recently two silent auctions in addition to some recycling efforts.

“We want to make this holiday a special time for as many children as possible,” said Zachary S. Wochok, CEO of PGP International. “This could not have been possible if it wasn’t for the generous support from our associates. I am very proud that our company and our associates are able to help those children in need in our community during the holidays.”

For more information about Toys for Tots, please visit their web site at www.toysfortots.org.

25/08/2008 : PGP International is Certified Gluten-Free

WOODLAND, CA - The Gluten-Free Certification Organization (GFCO) announced on August 25, 2008 that it has certified several of PGP International's ingredients as gluten-free. "We have serviced the gluten-free market with our ingredients for a very long time," says Zachary S. Wochok, PGP International's Chief Executive Officer. "The only difference now is that we have completed the certification administered by GFCO and can officially say that several of our ingredients are certified gluten-free. PGP International is the first ingredient manufacturer to obtain gluten-free certification through GFCO, which provides consumers an increased level of trust and confidence in food products. We hope that our gluten-free certified ingredients provide food processors avenues to offer a variety of products that are distinctly labeled and offered to consumers with Celiac Disease for their safe enjoyment".

GFCO standards are met through a rigorous process of third-party audits and frequent product and ingredients testing at the manufacturing facility and by GFCO. GFCO sets strict standards that ingredients may not contain more than 10 ppm gluten, twice as strict as the proposed FDA definition for gluten-free.

About PGP International

PGP International, an ABF Ingredients Company is a leading ingredient manufacturer dedicated to bringing you high-quality food ingredients used to develop good tasting nutritional products. PGP International is able to produce certified gluten-free ingredients that include crisp rice, rice flours and blends, millet and sorghum flours, protein crisps, sweet rice and our line of functional grain-based ingredients called PAC products. Our natural and healthy ingredients can be found worldwide in high-profile brands that include the bar, baking, beverage, confectionery, meat, nutritional, prepared foods and snack sectors. Our ingredients are also kosher and maybe certified organic. For more information about PGP International and its ingredients, visit www.pacgrain.com or call 530-662-5056.

About GFCO

The Gluten-Free Certification Organization's (GFCO) provides an independent service to supervise gluten free food production according to a consistent, defined, science-based standard that is confirmed by field inspections, in order to achieve heightened consumer confidence and safety. GFCO is "Gluten-free you can easily see' through a trademarked logo on the packaging. Products labeled with the GF certification mark allow consumers to easily identify items that have been independently verified to meet our high standards for gluten-free . . . potentially stricter than even the FDA will set as the standard for labeling. For more information visit: www.gfco.org or call 253-218-2956.

15/08/2007 : PGP International Acquires Riverbend Rice Mill, Inc.

PGP International, A Division of ACH Food Companies, Inc. and An ABF Ingredients Company, today announced the acquisition of U.S. specialty rice mill business, Riverbend Rice Mill, Inc., a specialty sweet rice milling company. Riverbend Rice Mill, Inc. is strategically located in Colusa, CA, about fifty miles from PGP International’s operations in Woodland, CA and in the epicenter of rice growing area of Northern California. Riverbend Rice Mill, Inc. was founded in 1993 to meet the specialty rice milling needs of its customers.

From its founding to the present PGP International emerged as a major customer for its own export business. At PGP International, we see the opportunity to vertically integrate our manufacturing operations and broaden our core capabilities through the addition of the Riverbend milling operation. This acquisition helps secure PGP International’s strong position in the short/waxy rice and rice flour blends (cake mix) markets in Japan and also provides opportunities for further product line expansion in support of our existing domestic flour business and the emerging organic rice flour business.

Our intention is to expand our rice flour and blends product range by using the existing core capabilities at the rice milling facility and to add others in the future. The former Riverbend Rice Mill will now become the PGP International Rice Milling Facility. We look forward to Riverbend Rice Mill, Inc. being rapidly integrated into PGP International and we enthusiastically welcome all Riverbend employees into the PGP International/ABF Ingredients family.

Stephen Catling, CEO
ABF Ingredients

Zach Wochok, CEO
PGP International