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: Frederic Stevenin
Street: Banque Paribas
3 rue d'Antin
City, State Zip: Paris, France 75002
2. Date of Event Requiring Statement (Month/Day/Year)
January 29, 1997
3. IRS or Social Security Number of Reporting Person (Voluntary)
4. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
Opta Food Ingredients, Inc. (OPTS)
<PAGE>
5. Relationship of Reporting Person to Issuer (Check all applicable)
( X ) Director ( ) 10% Owner
( ) Officer (give title below)
( ) Other (specify below)
6. If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Day/Year)
<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) No securities owned None None
<CAPTION>
Table I -- Continued
1. Title of Security 4. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4) (Instr. 5)
<S> <C> <C>
(1) No securities owned Frederic Stevenin as an officer of Banque
Paribas ("BP"), may be deemed to be an indirect
beneficial owner of shares of common stock of
Opta Food Ingredients, Inc. owned by Nouvelle
Holding Guyomarc'h S.A. ("Nouvelle") because BP
and Nouvelle are both primarily owned by
Compagnie Financiere de Paribas. Mr. Stevenin
disclaims beneficial ownership of such shares.
</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)
<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>
<PAGE>
Explanation of Responses:
/s/ Frederic Stevenin 2/6/97
Name: Frederic Stevenin Date
Title: Director of Opta Food Ingredients,Inc.
**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.
