UPDATE 1-Balchem Q4 profit rises

* Q4 EPS $0.26

* Q4 rev up 0.6 pct to $54.1 mln

* Sees 2009 as a year of improved sales and earnings

Feb 24 (Reuters) - Specialty chemicals maker Balchem Corp's (BCPC.O) quarterly profit rose 18 percent, helped by strength at its specialty animal nutrition and health products unit.

For the fourth quarter, Balchem earned $4.9 million, or 26 cents a share, compared with $4.2 million, or 22 cents a share, a year earlier.

Specialty animal nutrition and health products, targeted predominantly for ruminant animals, grew about 11.1 percent, the company said.

Shares of the company rose 3 percent to $20.38 in morning trade on Nasdaq. (Reporting by Sakthi Prasad in Bangalore; Editing by Deepak Kannan)