Sensient Natural Ingredients, LLC, a processor and supplier of dehydrated vegetable products and natural food ingredients, has finalized a transaction to acquire New Mexico Chile Products, Inc., a dehydrated chili production facility in Deming, NM, which processes capsicums and a variety of specialty chilies for commercial sale to CPG food manufacturers, spice blenders and foodservice customers.

“This initial acquisition aligns with our long-term business strategy to advance our leadership position in select growth categories as well as fortify our robust supply chain,” said Michael Finete, general manager at Sensient Natural Ingredients (SNI). “This is also an opportunity to better service our customers and satisfy the food industry’s increased demand for on-trend, value-added, natural and organic ingredients that are sustainably sourced and traceable from farm to fork.”

SNI is one of North America’s largest processors of dehydrated onion, garlic, capsicum and other specialty vegetable products and supplies CPG food manufacturers throughout the world. SNI established operations in California’s Central Valley over 100 years ago and prides itself on the multi-generational grower relationships it maintains to this day. 

“We aspire to build equally strong and enduring relationships with the respected growers in New Mexico as we invest in and support the Deming community in The Land of Enchantment,” said Finete. “The strategically-located facility not only provides incremental capacity for our growing business, but also enables us to broaden our chili portfolio of products to offer bold flavor solutions to our customers.”

SNI is the vertically integrated, agriculture-based strategic business unit of Sensient Technologies Corporation and markets California-grown, conventional and organic, dehydrated onion, garlic and parsley as well as domestic and imported capsicums (paprika, chili pepper and powder) and varietals such as Jalapeño, Habeñero, Ancho, Chipotle, Guajillo, Pasilla and New Mexico’s own Hatch chilies from the Hatch Valley.

All of SNI’s California-grown, vertically integrated products are responsibly sourced using sustainable farming methods. Its proprietary seed-to-shelf program, managed by SNI’s accredited agronomy division, is considered to be the industry benchmark for higher-yielding onion products with unparalleled traceability. All products meet or exceed industry standards for quality, safety, security and full traceability with all SNI facilities holding certifications of compliance with various third-party standards, such as those from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and certifications issued under the umbrella of the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), including Food Safety System Certification (FSSC) 22000, British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Safe Quality Food (SQF).