April 10, 2012

DuPont anticipates protein demand pushing up soy sales

Soy supplements are being expected to fuel much of the growth in its food ingredients business and for its products to help solve the widespread problem of weed tolerance to pesticides, DuPont said.

The company, best known for chemicals and Kevlar bulletproof fiber, has been steadily growing in the food sector since it bought Danish food ingredients maker Danisco last year. Food-related sales comprise nearly half of DuPont's roughly US$38 billion annual revenue.

DuPont also has aggressively pushed back on opposition from environmental groups that its pesticides, insecticides and genetically modified seeds are damaging nature.

Sales of probiotics or bacteria that aid digestion, food enablers used in gums and food testing equipment are growing, but soy supplements, primarily protein derived from soy, should see the strongest growth in 2012, James Borel, an executive vice president with DuPont said.