Balchem Corporation (Amex: BCP) announced yesterday that its Board of Directors has declared a dividend on its common shares equal to $0.06 (six cents) per share, payable on January 15, 2001 to holders of record on December 26, 2000. This dividend represents an increase of 20 percent over last year’s dividend and is intended to thank our shareholders for their continued support as we reinvest in Balchem’s future growth.

Balchem Corporation offers microencapsulated ingredients to the food industry for applications in meat processing, dough leavening, flavor enhancement and shelf-life improvement; and to the animal nutrition markets by supplying encapsulated nutritional supplements for use in animal health; and provides specialty packaging of chemical gases used primarily in the sterilization market segment and supplied to the health care industry.