Chr. Hansen's Expansion of USA Culture Facility Increases Capacity, Technology, and Efficiency

08Chr. Hansen is nearing completion of a $7.4 million upgrade to its culture plant in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The largest single expansion ever in the plant's history, it will increase fermentation capacity by 35 percent and complete a five-year investment plan of $25 million.

In the plant, a 30,000 liter fermentor is being added, with room to add another in the future. To follow design requirements, an upper penthouse is built with a specially designed roof hatch to allow installation of the new fermentors. A second UHT (Ultra High Temperature Sterilizer) is also added.

"Our international company, headquartered in Denmark, has made an extraordinary commitment to the US marketplace where we’re already an industry leader," states President and CEO David R. Carpenter. "This expansion will allow Chr. Hansen to offer customers a more highly technical production process and enhanced product development so we will be able to produce more and different products. We intend to introduce second generations of several of our popular products such as Easy-Set, as well as more innovations in probiotics."

The packaging area has been upgraded as well, with a new control room. Larger separators with automatic cryoprotection equipment have been added. This process simultaneously combines material directly from the separator with cryoprotectant to stabilize the culture concentrate quickly and more efficiently. Freeze-drying and packaging is being upgraded to support and meet the extra capacity of the fermentation area.

"An important part of this successful expansion has been a close global exchange with our colleagues in the Chr. Hansen culture plants in Denmark and France," says plant manager Greg Wyman. "By sharing and implementing each other's technology and production processes, we all can manufacture cultures at the highest efficiency, consistency, and quality."