Addivant held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on June 30 to mark a multi-million-dollar expansion for its WESTON® 705 nonylphenol-free antioxidant at the company’s Morgantown, W.Va. manufacturing facility. The expansion more than triples Addivant’s capacity for production of the liquid phosphite antioxidant, enabling manufacturers of polyethylene film and rigid products to meet food packaging needs without using nonylphenol chemistry.

Along with Addivant employees, more than 20 local, state, and federal officials, including West Virginia Secretary of Commerce Woody Thrasher, attended the event.  The celebration included a ribbon-cutting ceremony and reception.

“The expansion of our Morgantown facility is a major step forward in meeting the growing global demand for WESTON® 705 nonylphenol-free antioxidant,” said John Steitz, Addivant CEO. “This investment attests to our firm commitment to WESTON® 705, which has won broad acceptance in elastomers and in polyethylene (PE) film and rigid products in the food packaging industry.”

Phosphite antioxidants are necessary ingredients in packaging films and, while used in extremely low concentrations, need to be thoroughly tested because films come in direct contact with food products. WESTON® 705 was specifically designed as a solution to replace nonylphenol-based AO in food packaging while also complying with the strict, and often complex, global regulatory requirements without compromising on packaging film clarity, color, or processing performance.

Already approved in more than 180 countries for food-contact packaging, WESTON® 705 is the only nonylphenol-free liquid phosphite antioxidant alternative with food-contact approvals in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and China. This enables resin producers and packaging manufacturers to employ a single, global solution for Consumer Packaged Goods for customers looking to stay ahead of the regulatory curve. The result of more than seven years of research and investment, WESTON® 705 is the most thoroughly tested new plastic antioxidant on the market today. Recently, it received final approval from the U.S. FDA for use in infant food and breast milk packaging.

WESTON® 705 is rapidly becoming the industry phosphite antioxidant standard for polyolefins and rubber. A new generation of linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) packaging based on Addivant’s WESTON® 705 has successfully hit consumer shelves, bringing a new level of safety, performance, and efficiency in food packaging across the world.

Addivant continues to make significant investments to ensure maximum reliability and supply security for WESTON® 705. Over the last three years, the company has increased its pace of investment in assets and regulatory on average by 40% each year.

 

Source:globenewswire.com

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