February 12, 2008

 

AB Enzymes to acquire Syngenta's Quantum Phytase feed enzyme business

 

Press Release
 

 

AB Enzymes and AB Vista, both subsidiaries of Associated British Foods (ABF) plc, have announced the acquisition of Syngenta's Quantum Phytase feed enzyme business and technology. 

 

AB Enzymes will take over responsibility for the Quantum supply chain and further product development, whilst AB Vista will manage Quantum sales & marketing.

 

Quantum Phytase, due to its superior thermo-tolerance and efficacy, will compliment the existing range of feed enzymes that AB Vista currently markets, the company said.

 

Quantum sales are growing strongly in Latin America and market penetration is expected to increase further when product registrations in other major markets are completed.

 

Aryan Moelker, CEO AB Enzymes, said the addition is exciting in that it broadens the company's technology base and enhances its market reach.

 

The addition would help the company meet the increasing global demand for heat stable phytases, he added.

 

The joint goal of the company's partnership with AB Vista is to build market leading positions in key feed enzyme segments, he said.

 

CEO AB Vista, Richard Cooper said the acquisition also comes at a time when AB Vista is launching its global rollout of Econase XT, the thermo-tolerant Xylanase enzyme which has shown efficacy in corn and wheat based diets.

 

Quantum is also highly complementary to AB Vista's existing Finase range of feed phytases which is now sold in over 30 countries, Cooper said.

 

Neal Briggi, Head of Enzymes for Syngenta, said the company believes that the greatest potential in this market for Syngenta now lies in expressing useful enzymes directly in the grain and plants used as the raw material for many industries.

 

However, he added that the agreement will broaden market access for Quantum and make the technology available to a larger percentage of the animal nutrition market, while enabling Syngenta to better pursue our longer term goals for enzymes in Animal Nutrition and elsewhere. 

 

AB Enzymes is part of ABF's Ingredients division, ABF Ingredients, which focuses on high value ingredients for food and non-food areas through its operating companies Ohly, Abitec, Protient, AB Enzymes and PGPI.

 

AB Enzymes and AB Vista have a close partnership in development and commercialisation of feed enzymes, AB Vista is the Feed Ingredients division of AB Agri (Associated British Agriculture), the Agriculture Group of ABF. 
 

AB Agri is one of the UK's largest agri-food businesses with continual investment in innovative products, services and technologies.