Louis Dreyfus Completes Purchase of BASF Ingredients Unit

Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC) has completed the acquisition of BASF's Performance Ingredients for Food & Health unit. The announcement was made on Tuesday, September 30th. The deal involves a plant in Illertissen, Germany, three laboratories outside the country, and approximately 300 employees. All have been transferred to LDC. Regulatory authorities have approved the transaction.

The acquired unit includes food ingredients such as emulsifiers, aerating agents, and fat powders. It also includes compounds for human nutrition, such as phytosterol esters, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), and omega-3 oils. It also includes smaller product lines.

With the sale, BASF intends to focus its efforts on vitamins and carotenoids, focusing on essential nutrition for humans and animals. According to Daniela Calleri, senior vice president of the company's Nutritional Ingredients division, the decision strengthens its strategy and ensures the supply of high-quality ingredients.

For LDC, the deal marks a breakthrough in the plant-based ingredients space. According to James Zhou, Chief Commercial Officer and Head of the Food and Feed Solutions division, the addition of the new team will accelerate the development of solutions for the food, personal care, and healthcare sectors.

The transaction values ​​were not disclosed.