EMD Chemicals: Leveraging a Legacy

EMD Chemicals, Gibbstown, NJ, is the North American specialty chemical affiliate of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. Established in 1971, EMD maintains a diverse presence across a wide range of industries, from cosmetics and pigments to lab reagents to nutraceuticals. But its parent company has been doing business for far longer.

Merck KGaA’s history spans over three centuries, making it the oldest pharmaceutical-chemical company in the world. In fact, it was the first to bring both vitamin C and D to market in the early 1900s. According to Jeremy Appleton, ND, a naturopathic doctor and EMD’s technical marketing manager for Nutrition, the company has deep roots in natural products. “In addition to introducing vitamins, Merck pioneered the extraction of bioactives, such as alkaloids and flavonoids,” he said. “Today the company produces, among other ingredients, top-quality bio­flavonoids such as isoquercetin, quercetin and rutin.”

Germany-based Merck operates in North America as EMD Chemicals, an abbreviation formed from the initials of Emanuel Merck, Darmstadt. The pharmaceutical company known in the U.S. as Merck & Co. (and elsewhere in the world as Merck Sharpe & Dohme) is a wholly separate entity that splintered off from the original Merck after World War I. In all markets outside of the U.S. and Canada, Merck KGaA holds the rights to the Merck name.

Merck participates in the nutraceuticals industry through its Consumer Health Care division, which manufactures and markets vitamin, mineral, herbal and other nutraceutical supplements under its own name and through affiliates such as Seven Seas in the U.K. In 2000, EMD/Merck divested its vitamin manufacturing business in an effort to streamline operations, while maintaining its capabilities in bio­flavonoid harvest and production. Moving forward, Dr. Appleton says, the company will focus its R&D capabilities on a pipeline of innovative concepts and proprietary, natural bioactives in the converging North American cosmetic and nutraceutical markets.

EMD is known for its market-defining liquid crystal displays and pigments. Its Rona cosmetic ingredients include Emblica (a natural fruit extract with multiple skin care benefits), Eusolex UV filters and Oxynex (antioxidants for fats and oils); its pigments include Candurin (FDA-approved pearlescent effect pigments for food and oral pharmaceuticals). Given the increasing confluence of cosmeceutical and nutraceutical ingredients, Dr. Appleton says EMD will bring products to market that support the “beauty from within” concept as a complement to its present offerings. “Consumers are realizing that beauty is a function of health,” he said. “Many in­gredients that work well as nutraceuticals are being found to have cosmetic applications, and vice versa.

“EMD’s investment in proprietary natural ingredients is a reflection of its legacy of innovation,” Dr. Appleton continued. “We see an upsurge in products devoted to wellness, and to enhancing energy and vitality. EMD is uniquely capable of bringing effective and relevant products to an increasingly demanding customer base.”—R.W.


EMD Chemicals Inc.
480 South Democrat Road
Gibbstown, NJ 08027
Telephone: 800-222-0342
Fax: 856-423-4389
E-mail: jeremy.appleton@emdchemicals.com
Website: www.emdchemicals.com