Top South Korean Food Maker Goes after Bigger US Share
US - A new lysine production facility in Fort Dodge, Iowa, USA has been launched by CJ Cheiljedang Corp., South Korea's top food maker, as it seeks a bigger portion of the global biomarket.
25 June 2014
2 minute read
By: The factory, built with an investment of US$320 million, will produce more than 100,000 tons of lysine, an essential amino acid used in making animal feeds, annually for US sales.
Cargill, the world's largest trader of agricultural commodities, will provide the plant with starch sweetener, a key ingredient of lysine, according to Yonhapnews.co.kr.
"Starting with an Indonesian factory with a capacity of 100,000 tons in 1991, (CJ's) lysine business has made a leap to become the global leader by completing construction of a 100,000-ton factory here," CJ Group CEO Sohn Kyung-sik said during an opening ceremony, which was also attended by Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad.
CJ said it will make aggressive efforts to raise its share in the US market, which is dominated by US-based Archer Daniels Midland, Japan's Ajinomoto Corp., and Germany's Evonik.
The US lysine market reached 450,000 tons in terms of demand last year, the world's third-largest after China's 700,000 tons and Europe's 600,000 tons.
