17 Jun 2010 --- IOI-Loders Croklaan officially opened its new facilities at the Rotterdam Maasvlakte, specialized in the production of enzymatically interesterified fats and oils for the food industry. The plant was officially opened by Dato’ Lee Yeow Chor, Executive Director of the IOI Group and Maria van der Hoeven, Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs.

The new manufacturing plant is a major addition to the company's current factory in the Port of Rotterdam. It provides IOI-Loders Croklaan with extra storage and production capacity, creates important employment opportunities for the city of Rotterdam, and transforms the factory into the largest facility of its kind in the world. This expansion also consolidates IOI-Loders Croklaan's position as a leading global producer and supplier of vegetable oils and fats.

The new factory represents a significant breakthrough in the oils and fats industry in terms of both innovation and sustainability. "It's a very exciting time for everyone at IOI-Loders Croklaan," says Marc den Hartog, Sales & Marketing Director IOI-Loders Croklaan Europe. "The new plant enables us to produce enzymatically rearranged ingredients for food manufacturers in a way that is both consistent and cost effective. We're the first company in the world to provide the technology on this scale to customers and we're extremely proud to be able to offer this to the market." Enzymatic rearrangement has long been recognized as a healthy and natural way to alter the characteristics of oils and fats and give optimal performance in food products. However, until recently, it was only possible on a small scale, making it an expensive option in comparison with existing chemical techniques. Now, IOI-Loders Croklaan is able to offer consistently produced, enzymatically rearranged ingredients to customers at competitive prices.

To coincide with the opening of the new Rotterdam Palm Oil Plant Complex, IOI-Loders Croklaan has also announced the launch of its new enzymatically interesterified product line, Crokvitol. "The new Crokvitol portfolio features a number of different enzymatically rearranged ingredients designed specifically for customers from the margarine and bakery industries," explains Marc Den Hartog. "Crokvitol was originally the name of a margarine produced by Loders Croklaan in the 1960s that was designed to promote good heart health. It was one of the very first margarines that aimed to improve nutritional benefits.

Today, our new technology and innovative portfolio of products will offer similar health benefits to food manufacturers, so it seemed fitting to celebrate our latest innovation by naming it after one of our breakthrough products of the past."

The new plant also meets with IOI-Loders Croklaan's long-term strategic goals in the area of sustainability. The new plant features the latest technologies to recover heat, minimize CO2 emissions, and reduce energy wastage. IOI-Loders Croklaan worked closely with environmental surveyors when designing the plant to minimize impact to the local environment and ecosystems.

On a more international scale, the company was one of the founding members of the Round Table for Sustainable Palm Oil, or RSPO (www.RSPO.org), in 2003, and remains an active member of the Executive Board today. The company works closely with other stakeholders in the palm oil sector to promote environmental and social sustainability. Earlier this year, IOI-Loders Croklaan became the first company in continental Europe to supply fully segregated RSPO-certified sustainable palm oil on a large scale.