In a significant international collaboration aimed at reshaping the global yeast derivatives and natural ingredient markets, Lesaffre has acquired a 70% stake in Biorigin, a business unit of Brazilian multinational Zilor. This strategic acquisition marks the creation of a new joint venture that will combine Biospringer's and Lesaffre Biorigin’s strengths to deliver advanced ingredient solutions for the global food and animal nutrition sectors.
🔬 Combining Global Expertise in Fermentation and Sustainability
Lesaffre, a French-based global leader in fermentation and microbial solutions, and Zilor, a Brazilian company specialising in sugarcane-based natural ingredients, ethanol, and renewable energy, will join forces to develop yeast-based solutions for:
- Human food ingredients
- Livestock and pet nutrition
- Aquaculture and feed supplements
This partnership brings together decades of technical expertise, global manufacturing capacity, and a sustainable supply chain, including Biorigin’s cutting-edge production unit in Quatá, São Paulo, which is already recognised for its carbon-neutral operations powered by biomass energy.
“This venture is about accelerating innovation while anchoring sustainability at the core,” a Lesaffre executive stated. “Together, we can serve evolving global markets with clean-label, functional, and natural yeast-based ingredients.”
🌱 Sustainable Growth in Feed and Food Ingredients
The joint venture will not only scale production but also enhance value through:
- Technical collaboration across LesaffrZilor’s business units
- A vertically integrated supply chain using sugarcane-based raw materials
- Expanding reach in functional proteins, flavour enhancers, and nutritional yeast derivatives
Zilor will continue to manage its ethanol operations and yeast products for animal nutrition at the Lençóis Paulista and Macatuba facilities. Biorigin’s pet and livestock nutrition operation, which remains under Zilor's commercial oversight. Lesaffre’s business units across human food, aquaculture, and animal feed will gain from enhanced innovation and market reach.
🌍 A Joint Commitment to Sustainability
The Quatá site stands out for its leadership in carbon neutrality, utilising renewable biomass as its primary energy source. Both Lesaffre and Zilor reaffirmed their long-term commitment to environmental sustainability, pledging continuous improvement in resource utilisation, emissions control, and the adoption of clean technologies.
The formation of this joint venture, first announced on October 4, 2024, represents a transformative moment for the natural ingredients industry and underscores a growing trend of bio-based, sustainable ingredient partnerships in global food and feed markets.
