Materials used in a food-coloring facility in Louisville led to a runaway chemical reaction last November, which lik
ely caused the explosion that killed two workers and seriously injured three others, the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazar
d Investigation Board said in an update on the tragedy.
“The results of the chemical reactivity testing show that eve
n within the batch reactor’s normal operating temperature and pre
mixture as well as the sugar ingredient alone could experience a hazardous runaway reaction, producing dangerousl
high temperatures and pressures far beyond the reactor’s safe limit
, which in turn could cause the reactor to explode,” the Board’s update report concluded.
A massive piece of debris that flew from the plant. (AP Photo/Dylan Lovan)
The Givaudan Sense Colour facility was producing caramel food coloring in a reactor when the reactor ex
ploded in November 2024. The blast threw large metal pieces of equipm
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ent as much as 400 feet away, damaging nearby homes and businesses and prompting a shelter-in-place order for residents.
The sugar used in the process likely was undergoing a deco
mposition reaction and produced gases that built up pressure in the reactor, the report said.
The plant, which had led to years of complaints from neighbors about th
e smells emanating from it, has ceased operations and is being demolished.
The update can be seen here. The CSB said the investigation is continuing and a final report will be posted after the review is completed.