DuPont Nutrition & Health to enhance cultures manufacturing capacity in Europe

DuPont Nutrition & Health is planning to further expand the manufacturing capacities of its facilities in Sassenage and Epernon, France, as well as Niebüll, Germany.

The company will be investing $60m into the expansion of the three cultures production sites as the demand has been increasing for the frozen and freeze-dried starter cultures from the global yogurt, fresh fermented and cheese markets.

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 first phase of the plan will be commissioned this year with an investment in the Sassenage plant, which will increase fermentation, biomass separation and freeze-drying capacities.

It aims to enhance freeze-dried culture production by the end of next year.

DuPont Nutrition & Health probiotics cultures and food protection leader John Rea said: “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 food service 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.”

With the new investments, the frozen cultures production capacity is expected to increase at the Niebüll and Epernon plants.

The company further added that it has already made some investment in Niebüll plant for a new pelletizer, and further investment will be made to expand ultra-cold storage (-55°C) to boost the supply of frozen cultures.

In Epernon, DuPont Nutrition & Health intends to leverage the existing fermentation capacity by investing in new equipment.