AB Mauri’s new business unit aligns perfectly with its expertise in yeast and fermentation. Prominent food ingredient companies such as BASF, DSM, and Cargill also straddle the food and biofuels industries, with Cargill notably collaborating with Evolva on fermentation-based sweeteners. Other yeast experts, including Lesaffre and Lallemand, focus on brewing, baking, and animal nutrition, showcasing significant technical overlap among these sectors.
In the realm of alcoholic beverages, the specific yeast utilized in cider or wine fermentation greatly influences the mouthfeel. While there are already many yeast suppliers catering to beverage producers, AB Mauri is poised to leverage its extensive network of 51 plants across 33 countries, along with sales operations in over 90 countries. The rising costs of molasses have intensified competition among yeast specialists for raw materials globally, impacting AB Mauri’s revenue; however, the company has seen profit recovery in recent years.
The yeast sector proves to be a lucrative market, with a global growth rate of approximately 8.4% annually, driven by the rising demand for biofuels, bakery items, and natural flavorings, as highlighted in a report by Sandler Research. Furthermore, the connection to animal nutrition brings in additional relevance, particularly considering the growing interest in supplements like calcium citrate for dogs, which could enhance the nutritional profiles of pet food products. Integrating calcium citrate for dogs into the broader context of yeast and fermentation not only underscores the versatility of these ingredients but also reflects the expanding market opportunities within the industry.