U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, DC 20549
FORM 3
OMB APPROVAL
OMB Number: 3235-0104
Expires: April 30, 1997
Estimated average burden hours per response: 0.5
INITIAL STATEMENT OF BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES
Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934,
Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding
Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(f) of the Investment Company Act of 1940
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person
Last, First Middle: Compagnie Financiere de Paribas
Street: 5 rue d'Antin 75002
City, State Zip: Paris, France
2. Date of Event Requiring Statement (Month/Day/Year)
December 30, 1996
3. IRS or Social Security Number of Reporting Person (Voluntary)
4. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
Opta Food Ingredients, Inc. (OPTS)
5. Relationship of Reporting Person to Issuer (Check all applicable)
( ) Director ( X ) 10% Owner
( ) Officer (give title below) ( ) Other (specify below)
6. If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Day/Year)
<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Table I -- Non-Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned
1. Title of Security 2. Amount of Securities 3. Ownership Form: Direct
(Instr. 4) Beneficially Owned (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4) (Instr. 5)
<S> <C> <C> <C>
(1) Common Stock 1,386,674 I
<PAGE>
<CAPTION>
Table I -- Continued
1. Title of Security 4. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4) (Instr. 5)
<S> <C> <C>
(1) Common Stock By Nouvelle Holding Guyomarc'h S.A.
</TABLE>
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially
owned directly or indirectly.
<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Table II -- Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative 2. Date Exercisable 3. Title and Amount of Securities
Security and Expiration Underlying Derivative Security
(Instr. 4) Date (Instr. 4)
(Month/Day/Year)
Date Expiration Amount or Number
Exercisable Date Title of Shares
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
(1)
<PAGE>
<CAPTION>
Table II -- Continued
1. Title of Derivative 4. Conversion 5. Ownership Form 6. Nature of Indirect
Security or Exercise of Derivative Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4) Price of Security: (Instr. 5)
Derivative Direct (D)
Security or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 5)
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C>
(1)
</TABLE>
Explanation of Responses:
/s/ A. D. de Seze January 9, 1997
_____________________________________________ ___________________
On behalf of Compagnie Financiere de Paribas Date
Name: A. D. de Seze
Title: Member of the Board of Management
**Signature of Reporting Person
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal
Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually
signed. If space provided is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for
procedure.
