BASF completes sale of ingredients business to LDC

BASF has completed the sale of its Food and Health Performance Ingredients Business to Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC), following approval by the relevant authorities. The business was previously part of BASF'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.

BASF site in Illertissen, Germany

The business activities in scope of the transaction include:      

• - 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;
• - other smaller product lines

Through this strategic step, BASF aims to sharpen its portfolio and support growth in prioritized market segments in Nutrition & Health, while LDC expands 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.”

Financial details of the transaction are undisclosed.