It had been reported in Spanish media outlets that the group was considering a sale of the division, citing economies of scale as the rationale behind the move.
However, yesterday, a spokesperson for the Barcelona based, family-owned company told FeedNavigator it was business as usual at the group and that Indukern was simply responding to interest shown by third parties in its distribution business. “Such enquiries would be typical for a company like ours.”
Indukern was involved in divestment of late though, selling its industrial chemistry division to the German company, Stockmeier, at the beginning of 2019.
Between 2014 and 2018, the group, which had a turnover of €355m in 2019, acquired Gynea and Actafarma in Spain, Granard in the US, Cytecsa in Mexico, Laverlam in Colombia, Hexus Food in Brazil and Diffusions Aromatiques in France. Spain accounts for 30% of the group’s revenue.
Indukern’s feed related business represents around 35% of its turnover, according to the spokesperson. The company distributes and markets additives for animal nutrition and health including amino acids - lysine, methionine, threonine, tryptophan and valine, working in collaboration with the some of the largest global players in that respect.
The feed portfolio also includes enzyme complexes, protein concentrates, pet food flavorings and of vitamins and minerals.
Alternative proteins
Meanwhile, Indukern’s food ingredients division announced this week that it is participating in the international project, ALEHOOP, which is looking to develop alternatives to soy protein for use in both the food and the feed space.
The project got underway in June this year and is set to run to May 2024.
ALEHOOP’s goal is to demonstrate - at pilot scale - the feasibility of recovering low-cost proteins from algae-based and plant residual biomass sources, namely seaweed and the by-products of legume production using biorefineries.
The initiative was developed in the context of European over reliance on imported soy; those behind the project argue such dependence is economically and environmentally unsustainable and undermines the EU’s food security. “It is therefore important to diversify where and how to source its proteins for the future.”