DuPont Nutrition & Health has today announced that it will further increase its global manufacturing capacity, with an investment in three cultures production sites in Europe.
The $60 million injection is a response to increasing demand for frozen and freeze-dried starter cultures from the global yogurt, fresh fermented and cheese markets.
It adds to the $100 million expansion to its probiotics production capacity in the US that DuPont announced in November.
DuPont Nutrition & Health president Matthias Heinzel said: “These initiatives for European cultures plants will further increase our ability to serve the growing global dairy market.
“This additional capacity in cultures ensures that we maintain our recognised reputation for excellent stability and performance by leading customers around the world. Our investment will enable us to support their growth and geographic expansion.”
The European investments will be at the DuPont Nutrition & Health plants in Sassenage and Epernon, in France, as well as Niebüll in Germany. The first phase of the plan will be commissioned in 2017 with an investment in the Sassenage plant. Part of this project will be the increase of fermentation capacity, biomass separation and freeze-drying capacity, resulting in an increased production capacity for freeze-dried cultures by the end of 2018, DuPont said.
In addition, its frozen cultures production capacity will be increased by investment in the Niebüll and Epernon plants. At Niebüll, the company has already invested in a new pelletised – and further investment will be made to expand its ultra-cold storage and allow it to increase supply of frozen cultures.
In Epernon, the plan is to leverage the existing fermentation capacity by investing in a new fermenter.
DuPont Nutrition & Health probiotics, cultures and food protection leader John Rea continued: “The global dairy industry is expected to grow in the next five years driven by the higher consumption of fresh dairy products especially in Asia, as well as by the increased demand for cheese and cheese products for the foodservice industry. The investments in both freeze-dried and frozen pellets cultures format will reinforce DuPont Nutrition & Health’s leading position to serve and anticipate the needs of the global yogurt, fresh fermented and cheese industry.”
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