DuPont increases its probiotics capacity

DuPont has completed construction on a new probiotics fermentation unit at its Rochester facility, which is expected to increase probiotic capacity by 70%. The unit, which DuPont says is the largest in the world, will help increase its speed to market and meet growing global consumer demand for healthy food products and dietary supplements.

It is part of a $100 million investment to expand probiotics capacity and enhance the company’s ability to deliver high-quality, clinically documented probiotics. Matthias Heinzel, President at DuPont Nutrition & Health, said the new unit marks “a major milestone” in achieving its ambitious probiotics growth plans.

“Today, we are witnessing a significant rise in demand for probiotics as consumers make health and wellness a daily priority. We are proud to continue to deliver on our commitment to invest in this fast-growing segment, which can also enable sustainable growth for our customers around the world,” Heinzel said.

The fully operational fermentation unit will serve as a crucial resource in propagating bacteria and enabling high potency, stability and efficacy of probiotics, the company said.

This follows DuPont’s probiotics capacity expansion at its Madison, Wisconsin, facility in late 2018. The company upgraded equipment and increased the pace of new product development, which it said significantly improved delivery times on pilot material for clinical trials and customer evaluations.