Natural ingredient companies will explore how new sourcing and discovery capabilities could support future food and beverage innovation
CINCINNATI, Oct. 28, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — 2nd Nature, which discovers and develops naturally sourced ingredients, today announced a collaboration with Kalsec, the Michigan-based maker of natural food and beverage ingredients, to evaluate areas of potential mutual interest in natural ingredient discovery and sourcing.
As part of the initial collaboration, the companies will consider how 2nd Nature’s AgWastePortal™ platform and Kalsec’s market and technical expertise might be applied to identify naturally sourced ingredient opportunities with relevant functional and commercial potential.
Naturally sourced ingredient innovation requires consideration of performance, availability, scalability and cost. The collaboration is intended to help the companies better understand where their complementary capabilities may create value.
Since 1958, Kalsec has supplied natural colors, flavors and food protection ingredients to manufacturers worldwide. This relationship reflects Kalsec’s ongoing interest in evaluating new approaches, technologies and partnerships that could support future natural ingredient innovation.
“We are continually looking at new ways to expand our understanding of naturally sourced ingredients and the opportunities they may create for our customers,” said Dr. Roger Nahas, Executive Vice President of Global R&D and Chief Innovation Officer. “2nd Nature brings an interesting discovery platform and perspective. We look forward to exploring where our capabilities may align and what we can learn together.”
The exploration will draw on AgWastePortal™, recognized in the Agriculture category of TIME’s Best Inventions of 2026 list. The platform maps ingredients in agriculture, including food processing side streams, with predicted functionality, and can be used to investigate potential sources against a range of performance and commercial considerations.
“Kalsec brings deep market knowledge and technical expertise in natural ingredients,” said Effendi Leonard, PhD, CEO and Co-Founder of 2nd Nature. “We are pleased to begin a dialogue about how our platform could complement that experience. This is an opportunity to explore possibilities, test assumptions and determine whether there are areas worth pursuing further.”
About 2nd Nature, Inc.
2nd Nature discovers, develops, and deploys next-generation naturally sourced ingredients for the food and beverage, home and personal care, and wellness markets. The company’s AI platform, AgWastePortal™, combines discovery with process development and scale-up to turn promising compounds into practical ingredients. Partners can begin with a function they need or a feedstock they want to explore, with development guided by performance, production cost and supply requirements. TIME recognized AgWastePortal™ in the Agriculture category of its Best Inventions of 2026 list. FoodNavigator named 2nd Nature on its list of the world’s hottest food-tech innovators of 2025. Learn more at 2ndnature.bio.
About Kalsec, Inc.
Kalsec is the premier global producer of natural taste and sensory, color, and food protection solutions for the food and beverage industry. With over 65 years of experience, Kalsec’s deep technical expertise and cutting-edge natural ingredient solutions enable customers to overcome the complex challenges in creating delicious, savory and exciting products that meet consumers’ evolving needs. Headquartered in Kalamazoo, Michigan, with production and distribution facilities around the world, Kalsec is a certified B Corp committed to unlocking the potential of people, nature, and science to nourish the world. Discover What’s Naturally Possible™ at www.kalsec.com.
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