Penford

Penford Corporation was a leading developer and manufacturer of specialty starch-based ingredients for the food, paper, and pharmaceutical industries. In the healthcare sector, the company provided high-performance excipients and carbohydrate-based solutions used in drug formulation, tablet coating, and controlled-release delivery systems. Historically, Penford was the parent company of Penwest Pharmaceuticals, a drug delivery innovator, before spinning it off as an independent entity in 1998. The company was acquired by Ingredion in 2015 for approximately $340 million, integrating its specialty starch portfolio into Ingredion's global ingredient business. Penford's products were widely used to enhance the texture, stability, and delivery profiles of various pharmaceutical and nutritional products.