Founded in 1919 as a Dutch sugar manufacturer, CSM makes and distributes food products and ingredients for food processors, food retailers, and institutional foodservice operations worldwide, although half of its sales are in the US. CSM is a leading producer of bakery products and ingredients, including bread and pastry mixes, margarines and emulsifiers, fruit- and non-dairy-based fillings, icings, glazes, and frozen dough. Its biochemical division, PURAC, makes lactic acid, lactic acid derivatives, and lactides, which it distributes to food, chemical, and pharmaceutical companies. CSM has operations in 25 countries.