NETHERLANDS – Dutch food and biochemicals company Corbion is launching an initiative to increase its capacity for producing lactic acid and lactic-acid derivatives in response to rising demand for natural food preservation solutions.
The expansion also ties into Corbion’s five-year business strategy that sharpens the supplier’s focus on food preservation and production strategies as well as health and environmental sustainability.
The global drive is expected to produce a combined additional output roughly equivalent to a new production site without actually having to build one
It also involves capital expenditures at four existing Corbion facilities to maximize efficiencies and leverage synergies.
The new initiative comes ahead of the company’s previously announced expansion in Thailand scheduled for 2023.
“It’s crucial for us to plan ahead in anticipation of our customers’ longer-term requirements, but it’s also important to meet their more immediate needs,” says Frederik Feddes, vice president for lactic acid and specialties at Corbion.
Projects under the lactic acid capacity expansion initiative include Corbion’s production sites in Gorinchem (the Netherlands), Rayong (Thailand), Campos (Brazil) and Montmeló (Spain).
They come on the heels of other recently announced capacity expansion efforts in Blair (US), but in advance of the construction of an entirely new lactic acid plant at the company’s existing site in Rayong (Thailand).
“Investing in these efficiency improvements will provide greater security for customers now while the company also builds for the future,” Feddes adds.
Lactic acid as a national preservative
Manufacturers in multiple industries look to lactic acid and its derivatives as essential enablers of their business growth as the world rapidly moves beyond fossil-based solutions.
“Our business in lactic acid-based solutions is growing because it’s highly relevant to some significant global challenges such as reducing food waste, creating bio-based plastics and providing effective sanitizing solutions against COVID-19,” Feddes explains
Corbion says its purpose is to help preserve what matters, whether that means food and food production, human health, or the environment and natural resources.
The company has the advantage of a long track record in this market, and it’s a market that it understands “very well,” according to Feddes.
In January, Corbion revealed it was increasing its capacity for producing lactic acid in North America by around 40 percent in response to the growing demand for natural food preservation solutions.
“It is our priority to continue supplying and supporting our customers to help them bring innovative, sustainable products to the world,” Feddes said.
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