Danish food and pharmaceutical ingredients firm Chr. Hansen has said it has decided to investigate the possibility of selling its global food ingredients activities.

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The food ingredients operations of Chr. Hansen include its cultures, enzymes, colours, flavours, seasonings, sweeteners, animal health, and human health activities and sites.


The company said the aim of such a sale would be to merge the competences and organisation of Chr. Hansen Food Ingredients into a new ownership structure in order to create a stronger platform for future development of the business. 


“We believe that we have untapped opportunities that will materialise better and more efficiently in a new and larger structure, and have set out on this course in order to be able to continue to add value to our customers. Chr. Hansen is a strong brand and our solutions are both highly demanded and regarded,” said Erik Soerensen, CEO of Chr. Hansen Holding, which also owns ALK-Abelló, a company that develops and produces allergy vaccines.


Chr. Hansen said the process of finding a new owner could stretch well over the next year but it would not affect operations.

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The company said it had taken the decision to investigate the possibility of selling the ingredients business because a current major shareholder, the Lundbeck Foundation, has informed the board of Chr. Hansen that it does not want to remain a long term strategic investor in an ingredients company.


Rival Danish food ingredients firm Danisco has said it is interested in the business.


“In the area of cultures, Chr. Hansen is our biggest competitor. But aside from cultures, their product portfolio contains a range of other products, and they are the world leaders in the area of natural food colours, ” Danisco spokeswoman Natalie Weber told Reuters.


“So it would be natural for us to be interested in the process that has just been announced,” she added.