If you ask Performance Chemicals & Ingredients Co. (PCI Co.), good things — make that great things — come in threes.

The St. Louis-based company is parent to three key suppliers to the baked goods, beverage and snack food industries: Diehl Food Ingredients, a spray-dried emulsified powders producer; Emulsion Technology, Inc., a specialty emulsifier systems manufacturer; and SensoryEffects, a lipid-based delivery system manufacturer. All PCI products are based on lipid chemistry and are multi-component, value-added delivery systems, custom-designed for specific functionality in targeted and end-use applications.

In May of 2006, PCI acquired Diehl, Inc. of Defiance, Ohio, and formed Diehl Food Ingredients, Inc., a manufacturer and marketer of powdered ingredient systems for products such as dry beverages, soups, sauces, dairy products and baked goods. Its offerings include spray-dried creaming agents, whipped topping bases, fat-based powders and powdered emulsifiers.

The move built upon the company’s plan to build a specialty food ingredients business through targeted acquisitions and organic growth. At the time, PCI president Charles A. Nicolais called the transaction “the first acquisition of several planned in the food ingredients area.”

Nicolais wasn’t kidding. In October of that same year, PCI purchased the Channahon, Ill.-based SensoryEffects business unit from Loders Croklaan, LLC, complementing its prior acquisition and adding to its arsenal of services. SensoryEffects makes specialized, lipid-based inclusions that deliver flavor, aroma, color, texture and nutrients such as Omega 3 to food products using both patented and proprietary technology.

“The SensoryEffects business is a great example of our objective to add complementary specialty food ingredients product lines,” Nicolais said.

Since acquiring Diehl and SensoryEffects, PCI has greatly expanded the brands. For example, in March, it introduced Diehl Organics, a line of certified organic specialty powders such as Jerzee Organic and Centennial Organic, trans fat- and cholesterol-free dairy protein-based systems that were first to market in their respective categories.

As PCI continues to move forward, its focus on niche products from three leading companies makes it not just a double, but a triple threat.

For more information about Diehl Food Ingredients, visit www.Diehlinc.com. For additional details about Sensory Effects, go to www.SensoryEffects.com.

Avatar’s allergen/soy lecithin-free release agents allow bakers to offer soy-allergen-free products. The non-allergenic agents are formulated using a proprietary ingredient that has superior efficacy compared to acetylated or phosphated mono- and diglycerides. The formulations provide greater heat stability, eliminating equipment and product discoloration. Theagents are effective across a full range of temperatures and baking processes.

Wixon, Inc.’s salt substitute, KCLean Salt, cuts the sodium content of table salt in half, but matches salt’s taste, texture, functionality and mouthfeel. KCLean Salt combines potassium chloride and sodium chloride with a proprietary flavor blend to eliminate the typical metallic flavor of potassium chloride. The product does not break down or alter its flavor in cooking, freezing or shelf-life applications.

Caravan Ingredients’ Cara-Crunch is a complete mix for creating chewy or crunchy caramel treats. Made with real cream, it can be used to make peanut brittle, breakfast and muesli bars, almond cookie bites, Florentine cookies, crunchy cake toppings, crème brulee and croccante. Cara-Crunch is available in powdered form in 22-lb. cartons and requires no added water. Just put into a shallow pan; as it bakes, it becomes a delicious chewy caramel product.