October 9, 2006

BASF to merge animal and human nutrition units

BASF AG is consolidating its Animal Nutrition unit to better face competition in the fine chemicals market, an economic magazine reported.

The Animal Nutrition unit, which develops nutritional additives in animal feed, would be integrated into the company's Human Nutrition unit to form a new unit called Nutrition, Forbes magazine reported.

The move, to be implemented in the second quarter of 2007, would lead to 73 job cuts.

Refocusing its nutrition activities puts the company in a better position to serve the market and improve its animal and human nutrition business in the long term, said head of BASF's Fine Chemicals division Wolfgang Buechele.