Offloading activities: BASF divests Nutrilife baking enzymes business, Wilmar buys quats operations from Clariant

31 Aug 2022 --- BASF has entered into a binding agreement with its subsidiary, Danstar Ferment, to sell its BASF Nutrilife baking enzymes portfolio and business to enzymes and yeasts specialist Lallemand.

Among other latest divestment activities in the F&B arena, Clariant, a specialty chemicals company, has signed a definitive agreement to sell its quats business to Global Amines Company, a 50/50 joint venture between Clariant and oleochemicals manufacturer Wilmar.

BASF divests Nutrilife
Nutrilife specializes in baking enzymes to help food businesses optimize the baking process. Specifically, its solutions are designed to improve dough machinability and stability, preserve freshness during shelf-life and ensure consistent baking results.

“Baking enzymes is not a strategic fit for BASF,” notes Michael de Marco, BASF’s vice president, Global Business Management Enzymes.

“With Lallemand we have found an excellent partner to strategically continue and strengthen our baking enzymes business and to be a reliable supplier. We will accompany the transaction to ensure a smooth handover for our customers.”

Nutrilife specializes in baking enzymes to help food businesses optimize the baking process.“We look forward to continuing to provide Nutrilife customers with enzyme expertise as well as access to innovative ingredients based on the Lallemand yeast and bacteria technology platforms,” adds Lars Asferg, president of Lallemand Bio-Ingredients.

Food business highlights
BASF generated sales of €78.6 billion (US$78.7 billion) in 2021. This year, the company has been narrowing its business focus on strategic investments for sustainability along the agri-food chain.

BASF Venture Capital (BVC) most recently invested in Indian start-up UrbanKisaan, which specializes in hydroponic cultivation of various types of vegetables, greens and herbs in tropical urban environments.

Meanwhile, Canada-headquartered Lallemand has been busy scaling its portfolio, with launches of functional solutions from Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Torula yeast, including whole cell inactive yeast, yeast extracts and yeast derivatives.

Lallemand recently unveiled a new range of “pork-inspired” yeast-based flavors for the meat and plant-based protein markets. Savor-Lyfe P series replicates ham-style pork, roasted cuts and bacon-like smoked meat, as showcased live from Food Ingredients Europe in Frankfurt, Germany.

Clariant’s sale of quats business
Clariant’s sale of its quats business to Global Amines Company is hailed by the company as a “further step in Clariant’s portfolio transformation” to focus its activities purely on specialty chemicals.

Quats are quaternary ammonium compounds, a group of chemicals used for a variety of purposes, including as preservatives and sanitizers for surfaces and facilities in food production.

The transfer will be a sale of assets from the German, Indonesian and Brazilian sites and contract manufacturing arrangements are envisaged if required. The sale price, subject to customary closing conditions, is set at US$113 million.

The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions. The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2023.

By Benjamin Ferrer