01.10.2025 • News

BASF Sells Food and Health Performance Ingredients Unit

The scope of the transaction includes the production site in Illertissen, Germany, three application laboratories outside Germany, and around 300 employees who have transferred to Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC) as part of the acquisition.

The business activities that are part of the transaction include: Food Performance Ingredients, including whipping agents, emulsifiers and fat powders, Health Ingredients, such as sterol esters, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and omega-3 oils for human nutrition, as well as several smaller product lines.

With this strategic move, BASF aims to focus its portfolio and strengthen growth in prioritized market segments of Nutrition & Health. In turn, LDC is further expanding its presence in the fast-growing market for plant-based ingredients.

“By focusing on vitamins and carotenoids, we are reinforcing our strategic direction toward vital nutrition ingredients for both human and animal nutrition,” emphasized Daniela Calleri, Senior Vice President Nutrition Ingredients at BASF. “We are committed to meeting market demand for high-quality ingredients and ensuring reliable supply for our customers worldwide.”

“This move is a significant milestone in LDC’s growth journey in the plant-based ingredients space, enhancing and accelerating our capacity to develop innovative solutions for food, personal care and healthcare applications,” said James Zhou, LDC’s Chief Commercial Officer and Head of Food & Feed Solutions. “We look forward to welcoming our new teams to the LDC family as we open this exciting new chapter for the Group and working together to create value for our customers around the world.”

Both parties have agreed not to disclose financial details of the transaction.

BASF site Illertissen, Germany
BASF site Illertissen, Germany
© BASF

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BASF SE

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