History

In 1979, Abel Friedman started Chicago Sweeteners with the vision to provide Illinois food manufacturers with a single source for basic food ingredients: sugar, flour, salt, starch, milk, oats, honey and corn syrup.  These were the main ingredients moving in and out of our first Chicago Oakley Distribution Center at 43^rd and Western Avenue.   With success in the greater Chicago market, the company brought its broad line model to food manufacturing centers around the Midwest, and then around the country.  Some of the growth was built from the ground up, and some came by way of acquisition. 

During these years food manufacturers sought to advance the healthiness of their products without compromising taste, mouth feel, quality, appeal, functionality or shelf life.  This has led to a proliferation of ingredient diversity: Gums, Phosphates, Acidulants, Enzymes, Amino Acids, Maltodextrins, Preservatives, Excipients, Soluble Fiber, Emulsifiers, Dough Conditioners, Proteins, and Polyols are now core items that our customers source from us.

In 2010, we consolidated the various names under which we operate (Chicago Sweeteners, Sugar Incentives, LSI / Ingredients International, LSI Texas, Quality Ingredients, and Industrial Ingredients) into the single name Batory Foods.  Batory is the name of the ship on which our founder and President Abel Friedman and his family fled Poland in 1938, at the start of World War II. This voyage represented a new start for the Friedman family, and many other immigrants seeking freedom and opportunity in the United States. The name change represents an exciting evolution for Chicago Sweeteners and its operating divisions, as we develop our national distribution platform.  

Today, Batory Foods stands as the premier channel through which ingredient manufacturers distribute their products to manufacturers of food, beverage and nutritional consumables.  We now service over 6,000 customers with more than 2000 fresh, high quality, brand name ingredients, through our network of liquid and dry distribution centers across the country.