Louis Dreyfus Company B.V. (LDC) today announces the creation of a new Plant Proteins business as part of its commitment to help shape a strong and sustainable food system. Having hired a dedicated team of business developers, researchers and engineers in 2021, the company today opened a new R&D facility dedicated to its plant-based protein business in the San Francisco Bay Area, California, USA.
“As part of our strategic growth plans to move further towards the end consumer and diversify revenue through higher value-added products, we see an opportunity to participate in the rapidly developing plant-based food market through extracting plant proteins and formulating food and beverage applications by leveraging our existing industrial and origination capabilities,” said Michael Gelchie, CEO of LDC.
Growing concerns about health, the environment and animal welfare are driving strong demand for plant-based/plant-based OR alternatives to animal proteins. Food companies are innovating quickly to solve the protein challenge and meet the demand for sustainable, affordable products with great taste and nutritional profile.
“LDC’s Plant Proteins business aims to be the partner of choice for food companies and innovative brands looking to incorporate more sustainable proteins into their products,” said Thomas Couteaudier, Chief Strategy Officer at LDC. “We will enter the market with a first line of non-GMO plant protein isolates by the end of 2022, with an initial focus on North America, aiming to offer global customers a multifunctional portfolio of products and application solutions.”
The new Plant Proteins business will be managed by Dr. Manoj Kumar, Vice President of Plant Proteins at LDC, who will oversee a team of experts based in California.
“The center opened today is a fundamental base for the new business, supporting its commercial and R&D program. It will serve as a laboratory and pilot unit to develop products, validate their technical and commercial values and build know-how for future applications,” said Dr. Kumar.
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