France-based Lesaffre, a major player in the yeasts and fermentation business, has taken majority shareholding in Biohymn Biotechnology, a Chinese company specialised in the production of yeast and yeast extracts.
This acquisition is perfectly in line with Lesaffre’s goal of strengthening its presence on the Chinese market and ensuring greater proximity to its clients. Established in 2012, Biohymn produces yeast and yeast extracts mainly for China and is based at Food Industrial park of Linxi County, Chifeng City, in Northern China. This region well-endowed with sugar beet and corn cultivation. Antoine Baule, CEO of Lesaffre said, “With this new significant investment, we are establishing our will to be close to our customers, to offer them our products and services and fulfill their specific requirements. We aim to answer to the increasing market demand, especially yeast for mantou, but also in animal nutrition and biotechnologies.”
Jean-Philippe Poulin, President of China region at Lesaffre added, “This partnership between Lesaffre and Biohymn will create great synergy, our joined expertise will contribute to develop the main sugar production region in North China. We will leverage the localisation of Biohymn to further develop the North China market by better serving bakery, animal health and nutrition and biotech markets.”
Lesaffre has strong presence in China since 1980s with its premium Saf-Instant brand. Currently, it has 3 production sites in China with its first plant in Ming Guang when the group acquired a yeast plant there in 1999. In 2010, new plants were commissioned at Laibin, Guangxi, in partnership with sugar producer Donta. In 2015, the group signed majority shareholding in Sungain, at Chongzuo, Guangxi region.
Lesaffre also operates 4 Baking Centers in Shanghai, Hong-Kong, Beijing and Canton. Those centers offer bread making expertise in the form of technical support, training and advices to Lesaffre’s customers. Lesaffre seeks to strengthen its presence in China not only in baking but also in the field of food taste and pleasure, in animal nutrition and health, and in nutriments for biotechnologies.
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Biospringer by Lesaffre
