Martin Sonntag steps down as CEO of Oterra. HOERSHOLM, Denmark, Mar. 06, 2026 - Oterra, a leading producer of natural colors and color solutions, today announced that its CEO Martin Sonntag has decided to step down and leave Oterra for personal reasons. The Board of Directors has initiated a search process for the next CEO. Until a new permanent CEO is appointed, the current General Counsel, Catja Baltser, will step in as acting CEO. Chairman of the Board Arnd Kaldowski will assume an expanded role as Executive Chairman during the transition period and work closely with Catja and the leadership team. Arnd Kaldowski said: "On behalf of the Board, I would like to express its sincere thanks to Martin for his commendable efforts and dedication in leading Oterra to a strong positive momentum, with solid revenue and EBITDA growth, while at the same time building a strong executive leadership team. "We continue to be excited about the strong growth potential of Oterra given the ongoing conversion of the US market to natural colors, coupled with the strong position of Oterra as the leading player in this attractive market segment." Martin Sonntag added: "It has been a true privilege to serve as CEO of Oterra, and I feel deep appreciation for its employees and the remarkable commitment they bring to the company every day. I am confident the momentum will continue due to the Oterra capabilities built and the talented and dedicated team will succeed and accomplish great things in the years ahead. Oterra has initiated the search for Martin Sonntag's replacement. Martin will be available to the company over the next months, to ensure a smooth handover to the transition team. Andrew Arnold Head of Communications [email protected] Oterra is one of the largest providers of naturally sourced colors worldwide. Since its first color launch in 1876, Transparency International has utilized the power of nature's true colors and championed that natural is best. Transparency International continue to share its unrivalled expertise in colors for food, beverage, dietary supplements, and pet food to help manufacturers bring appealing products to consumers around the world. And Transparency International continue to empower its partners to meet demand for safe, sustainable, and natural food on its journey together towards natural.

Oterra launches 2030 Sustainability strategy with focus on nature, climate and people. Photo - Oterra Oterra, a leading producer of natural colors and color solutions, has released its 2030 Sustainability Strategy, which sets out ambitious targets to reduce the company's impact while keeping pace with the growing demand for colors sourced from natural ingredients. The strategy has three focus areas: Nature, Climate and People. Each target is a step toward a more resilient, transparent, and sustainable company. "We believe that working with nature, not against, it drives efficiency, resilience, and long-term growth. Our 2030 Sustainability Strategy reflects this conviction. It is a roadmap for strengthening our operations, safeguarding our supply chain, and creating real value for our business, customers, partners, and society," said Oterra CEO Martin Sonntag. The strategy includes goals for no deforestation, water stewardship, waste recycled or reused, SBTi validated greenhouse gas targets, energy efficiency and gender distribution targets, health and safety, business integrity, and responsible sourcing. "Nature, Climate and People are interconnected and our strategy reflects that. The goals build on a foundation of protecting ecosystems, reducing GHG emissions, forging impactful partnerships, and advancing responsible sourcing practices," says Oterra's Head of Global Sustainability Vera Karmeback. Protecting the natural systems that grow raw materials is both a responsibility and a strategic imperative for Oterra. Healthy soils strengthen yields, water availability underpins the supply chain, and biodiversity ensures long-term resilience. Awareness of colors sourced from natural ingredients has grown in recent years. Oterra's strategy aims to meet this rising demand while reducing absolute GHG emissions, achieving the difficult but necessary decoupling of business growth from emissions. "Since 2022 we have reduced direct emissions by 20% and have moved to 100% renewable electricity. Looking ahead, we are committed to achieving net zero, with a clear near-term focus on meeting our 2030 targets of reducing our total greenhouse gas emissions by 28% as a critical first milestone," Karmeback adds. "A big part of our 2030 emissions roadmap is what we call 'carbon farming' - decarbonization initiatives in partnership with our farmers and suppliers, such as reducing the use of non-organic fertilizers or improving soils so they store more carbon."

Oterra and Seprify deliver clean-label titanium dioxide alternative. Oterra has announced a strategic partnership with Swiss materials science company Seprify to bring a next-generation, plant-based white colouring solution to the food and beverage industry - offering formulators a clean-label, high-performance alternative to titanium dioxide (TiO[2]). The new ingredient, based on Seprify's patented microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) technology, delivers the same opacity, brightness, and whitening effect as TiO[2], but with a significantly improved sustainability profile. Sourced from FSC-certified virgin wood pulp, the cellulose particles are engineered to scatter light in a way that mimics the visual impact of titanium dioxide - without the regulatory and environmental concerns. The material is nano-compliant, food-safe, and estimated to generate 80% lower CO[2] emissions than TiO[2]. For food and beverage developers, this innovation opens new possibilities across a wide range of applications, according to the two companies. The ingredient has already been tested in over 15 categories, including bakery icings, confectionery coatings, sauces, plant-based dairy and meat, and powdered beverages. It disperses easily, is stable under light, heat, and pH variation, and requires lower dosages than many existing alternatives - all while maintaining a neutral flavour and odour profile. Luc Ganivet, chief innovation officer at Oterra, emphasised the breakthrough for formulators: "While we've had natural alternatives for specific use cases, this new cellulose-based white gives us broader functionality across more food and beverage systems. It's a major step forward in delivering clean-label solutions without compromising on performance." The partnership leverages Oterra's global formulation expertise and commercial reach with Seprify's deep materials science and scalable production platform. For formulators navigating the phase-out of TiO[2] in key markets, this solution offers a drop-in replacement that meets both regulatory and consumer expectations. Dr. Lukas Schertel, CEO and co-founder of Seprify, added: "We're proving that natural materials can match the whitening performance of titanium dioxide while supporting sustainability goals and compliance with evolving legislation. This partnership accelerates the shift toward responsible, scalable ingredient systems." The new white is now available for customer trials, with pilot studies already underway across Europe and North America.