In the coming year, Chr. Hansen is investing EUR 6 million ($7.8 million USD) to expand capacity at its culture production facility in Pohlheim, Germany, where the company's meat and animal health cultures are produced. The expansion, scheduled for completion next spring, will be a state-of-the art production plant with capacity to support future market growth.

In the future, more of the company's silage inoculant cultures will be produced at the upgraded Pohlheim site, and some production is already being moved from the North American plant in Milwaukee to Pohlheim. The silage inoculant product line is a major part of Chr. Hansen's Animal Health and Nutrition business, and the company expects more than 20 percent growth in this area.

"To reach our ambitious goals and provide our customers with second-to-none solutions, it is necessary to continually upgrade and adjust our facilities,” says Steve Johnson, Director of Marketing for Animal Health and Nutrition in North America. “This will ensure that our customers get the optimum quality, as well as security of supply."

Mr. Johnson continues, "Chr. Hansen is the first in the industry to achieve FAMI-QS (Feed Additive and preMIxtures Quality System) certification - a certification system covering feed additives that fully integrates ISO quality standards and HACCP requirements, and is in answer to the recent EU Feed Hygiene Regulation. This certification, along with the Pohlheim upgrade, means that our customers can be assured that Chr. Hansen microbials for animal health is of the top-most quality."

The fermentation line and the laboratories have already been upgraded at Pohlheim. The new investment is a completion of a larger project, and will ensure better capacity utilization in fermentation, as well as enhanced packaging, warehouse and distribution capabilities. The need for increased culture production is a result of the higher demand from more customers.

"The global market for meat cultures is growing as manufacturers realize the benefit of using controlled, high quality cultures," explains Otis Curtis, Director of Marketing for Meat and Prepared Foods for Chr. Hansen in North America. "Chr. Hansen is a market leader and our ambitions continue to be high. The significant investment in the Pohlheim culture plant demonstrates Chr. Hansen's commitment to the meat industry."
The expansion in Pohlheim is also an immediate result of a desire to focus resources and create a center of excellence within the area of meat culture production.

“We predict a two digit annual market growth for meat cultures with a focus on new improved cultures for the dried fermented meat segment and new solutions within food safety," explains Mr. Curtis. “The world class production technology at Pohlheim will help us successfully meet our customers' needs."

For more information on Chr. Hansen's silage inoculants, contact Steve Johnson or Jim Dodson, Vice President of Sales for Animal Health and Nutrition, and for more information on Chr. Hansen's meat cultures and food safety products, contact Otis Curtis or Tom Barry, Vice President of Sales for Meat and Prepared Foods, all at 800-558-0802 or Innovations@chr-hansen-us.com.

Operating from facilities in thirty countries worldwide, Chr. Hansen is a global biotechnology company that provides ingredients to the food, dairy, human health and nutrition, and animal health industries. Based on intensive research, Chr. Hansen works to improve the quality of food and health for people all over the world. The company is a primary supplier of cultures, probiotics, enzymes, colors, flavors, seasonings, sweeteners, and tablet coatings and excipients, which are applied in foods and beverages, pharmaceuticals, dietary supplements and agricultural products. For more information, visit www.chr-hansen.com.

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Contact:  
Linda Sweek, Communications & PR Manager  
Chr. Hansen, Inc.
414-607-5818
Linda.Sweek@chr-hansen-us.com