BASF and Louis Dreyfus Company have completed the sale of BASF's Food and Health Performance Ingredients Business to LDC following regulatory approvals, the companies announced today.
The transaction transfers a production site in Illertissen, Germany, three application laboratories outside Germany and approximately 300 employees to LDC's operations. Financial terms were not disclosed.
The divested business includes food performance ingredients such as whipping agents, emulsifiers and fat powders; health ingredients including plant sterol esters, conjugated linoleic acid and omega-3 oils for human nutrition; and several smaller product lines.
"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 of nutrition ingredients at BASF. "We are committed to meeting market demand for high-quality ingredients and ensuring reliable supply for our customers worldwide."
The transaction allows BASF to sharpen its portfolio in the Nutrition & Health division while enabling LDC to strengthen its position in the growing plant-based ingredients market.
"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 and feed solutions.
Zhou added that LDC looks forward to welcoming the new teams and "working together to create value for our customers around the world."
