BASF and Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC) have announced the successful completion of the sale of BASF’s Food and Health Performance Ingredients Business to Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC), following approval by the relevant authorities.
BASF’s Food and Health Performance Ingredients Business was previously part of the company's Nutrition & Health division.
The transaction includes a production site in Illertissen, Germany, three application labs outside of Germany, as well as around 300 employees, who have transferred to LDC.
The business activities in the scope of the transaction include the following:
- food performance ingredients, such as whipping agents, emulsifiers and fat powders
- health ingredients, including plant sterol esters, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and omega-3 oils for human nutrition
- several smaller product lines.
Through this sale, BASF aims to sharpen its portfolio and support growth in prioritised market segments in Nutrition & Health, whilst LDC can expand its participation in the rapidly growing plant-based ingredients market.
"By focusing on vitamins and carotenoids, we are reinforcing our strategic direction toward vital nutrition ingredients for both human and animal nutrition," said Daniela Calleri, Senior Vice President, Nutrition Ingredients at BASF.
"We are committed to meeting market demand for high-quality ingredients and ensuring reliable supply for our customers worldwide."
"This move is a significant milestone in LDC’s growth journey in the plant-based ingredients space, enhancing and accelerating our capacity to develop innovative solutions for food, personal care and healthcare applications,” said James Zhou, LDC’s Chief Commercial Officer and Head of Food & Feed Solutions.
"We look forward to welcoming our new teams to the LDC family as we open this exciting new chapter for the Group and working together to create value for our customers around the world."
Both parties have agreed not to disclose financial details of the transaction.