Ashland raising prices of products for food, personal care and pharmaceutical industries

WILMINGTON, Del. – Ashland Aqualon Functional Ingredients, a commercial unit of Ashland Inc. (NYSE: ASH), is increasing the global price of its product lines serving the food, personal care and pharmaceutical industries by 5 percent effective June 1, or as contracts allow. The product lines affected by the increase include carboxymethylcellulose, ethylcellulose, guar and guar derivatives, hydroxyethylcellulose, hydroxypropylcellulose, and methylcellulose and its derivatives.

This price increase is necessary to offset the recent cost increases of key raw materials and costs to comply with increasing regulatory requirements. Responding to changing market conditions allows Ashland to continue to invest in new capacity and product innovations to support customer growth.

Ashland Aqualon Functional Ingredients is a leading producer of hydrocolloids, primarily cellulose ethers, worldwide. It provides specialty additives and functional ingredients that manage the physical properties of aqueous and non-aqueous systems including rheology control, water retention, bonding strength, film formation, conditioning, deposition and stabilization. Many of its products – used in paint and coatings, construction, food, personal care, pharmaceuticals, oil and gas field production and specialty industries – are derived from renewable and natural raw materials.

Ashland Inc. (NYSE: ASH) provides specialty chemical products, services and solutions for many of the world’s most essential industries. Serving customers in more than 100 countries, it operates through five commercial units: Ashland Aqualon Functional Ingredients, Ashland Hercules Water Technologies, Ashland Performance Materials, Ashland Consumer Markets (Valvoline) and Ashland Distribution. To learn more about Ashland, visit www.ashland.com.

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