Food Thickeners (Xanthan Gum / Modified Starch)

American ingredients company (NYSE: INGR, HQ Westchester IL; formerly Corn Products International); wet milling and specialty ingredients producer with significant pharmaceutical-grade dextrose output. Ingredion operates corn wet mills in Argo IL (one of the largest corn wet mills in the US), Darien WI, and other locations producing pharmaceutical-grade glucose/dextrose (anhydrous and monohydrate) under its Pharma Solutions brand. Ingredion historically served the confectionery (glucose syrups), brewing (glucose syrups), and food industries before expanding into pharma-grade. Argo IL wet mill has been operating since 1906 — one of the longest continuously operating corn processing facilities in the US.

China's largest fermentation-based amino acid company; operates one of the world's largest single biotechnology production complexes in Xinjiang, producing glutamic acid, lysine, xanthan gum, corn starch, and animal feed from corn wet milling at mega-scale; in 2022 attempted to purchase 300 acres near Grand Forks Air Force Base, North Dakota for a corn milling plant — blocked 5-0 by city council after Air Force cited national security risk (passive interception of sensitive drone communications); that failure highlighted how food ingredient producers can create intelligence collection infrastructure