RiceBran Technologies (NASDAQ: RIBT and RIBTW), a global leader in the production and marketing of value added products derived from rice bran, announced an additional expansion at its Healthy Natural, Inc. plant in Irving, Texas. This second expansion will install capacity for the expanded production of nutricosmetics and personal care products.

As announced in September 2014, the Company completed development of a series of rice bran-based products targeting the nutricosmetics and personal care markets. The expansion project will start in Q4 2014 and is expected to be completed before the end of Q2 2015. 

RiceBran Technologies completed the first expansion project to more than double powdered beverage production capacity at Healthy Natural in July 2014. That expansion increased Healthy Natural's manufacturing footprint to more than 45,000 square feet with a monthly capacity to produce up to 400,000 canisters and gusseted bags. Additionally, the expansion allows for monthly output of up to 3 million single-serve powdered beverage bottles. 

Mark McKnight, senior vice president of contract manufacturing, commented: "With the completion of the first stage expansion at ourIrving, Texas manufacturing facility this past July, we are poised to take further advantage of the continued increase in demand for our non-GMO, gluten free, all natural, and minimally processed products. In addition, we are now embarking on a second expansion at Healthy Natural focused on nutricosmetics, a new and rapidly growing area of the cosmetics market and personal care industry. Rice bran is rich in nutrients and has applications across multiple finished goods vertical markets. We are working diligently to build these verticals into strong drivers of growth for our Company for years to come."