US$100m probiotic capacity expansion: DuPont opens “world-class” fermentation unit

15 Jul 2019 --- DuPont is opening a new state-of-the-art probiotics fermentation unit at its Rochester, New York, facility. Construction of the unit was completed in March as part of an overall US$100 million investment to expand the company’s probiotics capacity. The facility is now producing high-quality probiotics for the dietary supplement and food and beverage industries, which have the potential to provide health benefits to consumers of all ages, and it comes amid a rise in probiotic popularity among global consumers and the consequent NPD this brings.

“The investment in our Rochester probiotics operation furthers our strategy to provide health and nutrition science solutions to this growing market,” says DuPont CEO Marc Doyle. “With the completion of this facility, we have the largest fermenter in the world dedicated to probiotics production, which enhances our ability to provide customers and consumers with high-quality, clinically-documented strains that will positively impact people’s health now and in the future.”

“With the opening of this plant, we are increasing our probiotics capacity by 70 percent, and this investment aims to increase DuPont’s market leadership in this growing industry,” lead for the expansion project, Dave Cress, tells NutritionInsight.

“DuPont develops and produces the widest range of clinically documented strains of probiotics for the global population, and a third of probiotics sold in the world contain DuPont strains. Our strains are used in a variety of end use products, from over the counter health supplements to food and beverages such as yogurt and orange juice,” he adds.

The state-of-the-art facility incorporates several new production innovations, including:

• The world’s largest fermenter for probiotics production and its downstream processing. 
• A built-in, fully-automated system of sensors and monitors that helps maintain optimal growing conditions, removing the need to take traditional manual samples.
• Pressurized air technology to mix fermenting solutions, replacing traditional pumps and mixing blades that can damage bacteria.
• New bacteria freezing technology for safe storage of the probiotics that significantly increases efficiency.
• In addition to the company’s capital investment, construction of the fermentation unit was supported by an Upstate Revitalization Initiative Grant provided by Empire State Development. 

The facility is producing high-quality probiotics for the dietary supplement and food and beverage industries.“Supporting the growth of innovative companies like DuPont, with its new probiotics fermentation unit, reinforces the strength of the region’s agriculture and food ecosystem and reflects our strategic focus on recruiting and retaining food production businesses that drive economic development in the Finger Lakes,” says Empire State Development President, CEO & Commissioner Howard Zemsky.

Probiotic expansion
DuPont develops and produces a wide range of clinically-documented probiotic strains for products sold globally. The investment will complement DuPont’s existing product portfolio, especially in the areas of probiotics and prebiotics, including human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs), and enable precision nutrition to prevent and potentially treat chronic illnesses and various other health conditions. 

In the US alone, more than 16 million households are purchasing probiotics, which deliver a variety of functional health benefits – from digestive and immune health to promising advancements in weight management and even cognitive health, notes the company. 

Probiotics continue to be a rising trend, with more than a 40 percent rise in NPD when global launch numbers are compared with a probiotic claim from 2012 to 2017, according to Innova Market Insights data. 

Last month, DuPont released a probiotic formula touted as delivering mood, vaginal and immune health benefits for women during pregnancy and beyond, coined Howaru Protect Prenatal+.

“There is a growing global demand for personalized health care that addresses individual needs and wants. Gone are the days of a one-size-fits-all approach and now is the time for the ‘make it mine’ solution. At DuPont, we are meeting this need by developing products that are increasingly focused on stages of life rather than broad generic categories. HOWARU Protect Prenatal+ is an example of DuPont meeting the demand for condition-specific formulations,” a DuPont spokesperson shared with NutritionInsight, about the launch.

The company’s initiative for the development of new microbiome science-based solutions, Microbiome Venture, entered into a strategic investment and partnership with BioMe Oxford Ltd last month. Based in Oxford, UK, start-up BioMe Oxford is developing BioCapture, a smart, orally delivered capsule that can sample gut microbiota in both humans and animals. 

Edited by Laxmi Haigh