ADM set to expand in the textured protein market with new facility in Serbia

20 Sep 2022 --- Less than one year after ADM’s acquisition of SojaProtein, producers of non-GMO soy ingredients, the company has opened a soy extrusion facility to increase its production capabilities for human and animal nutrition. The facility will increase the amount of savory soy-based offerings in expectation of increased European demand.

The move comes on the heels of a recently announced US$300 million investment by the company to expand its facility in Decatur, Illinois (US) and increase its capacity for alternative and plant-based protein production in North America. The company also plans to open a Protein Innovation Center.

“Our protein capabilities and production capacity continue to grow, and this new facility increases our extrusion capacity in the European region,” says Leticia Gonçalves, president of global foods at ADM. 

“We’re proud to continue the advancement of the alternative protein space for EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa) and around the globe, and our new extrusion facility in Serbia is a significant contributor to this progress today and into the future.”The new facility in Serbia will increase ADM’s ability to serve the EMEA market.

Tackling textured protein
The company holds that the demand for textured protein is not only high in North America and Europe but is also increasing globally. Innova Market Insights has been tracking the rise of plant-based product demands and featured it in its “Top Ten Trends” for several years as demand shifts from whey and dairy-based protein offerings.

Innova Market Insights further reports that plant-based nutrition will stay strong throughout 2022 as savvy consumers are not only concerned with their own personal health but are also increasingly mindful of planetary health.

“Our new extrusion facility not only increases the supply of locally sourced, non-GMO textured soy protein in Europe, which is in high demand, it also matches the pace of the incredible expansion of the meat alternatives category in the EMEA region,” underscores Gonçalves. 

“The ingenuity of the new plant provides advanced extrusion and texturizing equipment, delivering optimized and flexible solutions, ultimately allowing for unmatched speed-to-market for our customers to create in-demand textured plant-based protein offerings with a delicious bite and chew.”The demand for plant-based protein alternatives has risen alongside consumers’ concern for planetary health.

A synergistic effort
ADM states that, together with the help of SojaProtein, it is now able to offer soy extrusion capabilities at the product’s point of origin, with 90% of the soy used at the facility being grown and sourced within 100 km of the new center. It will also reduce production costs and environmental impact by utilizing a local supply chain.

“In just under a year, our operational synergies with SojaProtein have made massive strides to meet the demand for non-GMO soy protein,” Gonçalves explains. “We’ll see continued growth with the broader protein solutions toolbox and improved R&D capabilities through the opening of our facility.” 

“With over 75 years of experience in developing tailored protein nutrition solutions, now bolstered by both our expert colleagues at SojaProtein and our facility, we’re now even better suited to support our customers’ growth and innovation in the category,” she concludes.

Edited by William Bradford Nichols