Emsland Group launches Emjel® LC 15, redefining vegan and vegetarian jellies with gelatin-like performance.
Emsland Group has unveiled a plant-based functional starch to help vegan and vegetarian confectionery manufacturers overcome the traditional limitations of starch systems. The ingredient, Emjel LC 15, “redefines” jelly and gum production by enabling the formulation of gelatin-free products with smoother, elastic textures.
Confectionery manufacturers can use the ingredient to achieve a “gelatin-like” texture and clear appearance, enhancing consumer appeal. It can also help them expand into vegan, halal, and kosher markets with a fully plant-based solution.
Emjel LC 15, being plant-based, aligns with the emerging trend in passive health claim launches in sugar confectionery products, whose market is expected to grow at 3% and 2% in value and volume by 2027, according to Innova Market Insights data.
Emsland manufactures vegetable-derived food ingredients, such as potato and pea starches, proteins, fibers, flakes, granules for bakery, snacks, meat analogs, dairy alternatives, coatings, and clean label applications. The company is headquartered in Emlichheim, Germany.
Conventional starch-based jellies need high cooking temperatures and complex processing conditions to achieve full gelatinization and the desired texture.
However, Emsland says its ingredient uses atmospheric cooking — a method that works without pressure or vacuum. It offers the same “processing ease” traditionally associated with gelatin.
Atmospheric cooking improves the thermostability of confectionery products while maintaining their structure at high temperatures, where gelatin-based products may soften or melt.
The process also protects sensitive ingredients such as natural flavors, colors, and vitamins, and lowers energy consumption and costs through reduced cooking temperatures.
Starch sachets release fertilizer in a controlled manner and can replace petroleum-derived polymers.
An innovative product with the potential to replace polymers used in soil fertilizers is being developed in São Carlos in the state of São Paulo, Brazil.
The innovation consists of starch sachets reinforced with nanoparticles that contain powdered or granulated fertilizers. Starch is a biodegradable polymer, and in sachet form, it can be filled with a mixture of various nutrients that are essential for crops.
This work is enabled by a collaboration between the National Nanotechnology Laboratory for Agriculture (LNNA) of EMBRAPA Instrumentation, one of the decentralized units of EMBRAPA (the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation), and the Federal University of São Carlos (UFSCar).
Research has developed starch sachets that are processed with urea and citric acid and reinforced with copper-ion-rich zeolite. Credit: João Otávio Donizette Malafatti
“There are essential and irreplaceable nutrients for plants, such as the trio of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium [NPK]—usually applied to the soil in the form of highly soluble potassium chloride salt. Farmers generally apply a large amount to the field to ensure absorption. However, the cultivated plant cannot immediately absorb all of this fertilizer,” explains chemist João Otávio Donizette Malafatti.
“This excess becomes an economic loss and can contaminate the surrounding environment. The sachets aim to control the release so that the plant feeds gradually. In this sense, we modulate different types of sachets depending on the nutrients we’re going to add inside them.”
Malafatti is the first author of the resulting article published in the Journal of Inorganic and Organometallic Polymers and Materials. She was supervised by EMBRAPA Instrumentation researcher Elaine Cristina Paris. Paris is a researcher in the Graduate Program in Chemistry (PPGQ) at UFSCar.
Malafatti developed starch sachets that were processed with urea and citric acid and reinforced with zeolite that was rich in copper ions. Zeolite is a porous mineral with a high adsorption capacity for ions, such as copper.
“Starch is a material that’s susceptible to degradation,” she says. “Therefore, a formulation is needed so that the sachets preserve their characteristics until they reach their destination in the soil. In this process, the copper ions present in zeolite have a dual function: They have great antimicrobial properties, both for fungi and bacteria, controlling the growth of microorganisms, and, in addition, they’re sources of mineral micronutrients, which are subsequently absorbed by the roots.”
In the study, the presence of copper controlled the growth of the fungus Alternaria alternata, Malafatti explains: “The goal is to strike a balance between preserving the sachets in the final application in the soil and subsequently making their contents available to the external environment.”
According to Malafatti, biodegradable polymers and starch matrices still must overcome certain challenges compared to similar petroleum-derived products, especially regarding mechanical resistance and stability over time. Therefore, the research seeks to develop formulations capable of improving these properties.
In the study, the group evaluated various zeolite concentrations and found that a maximum value of 3% relative to starch significantly increased mechanical resistance. Above that limit, however, the particles tend to agglomerate, which weakens the film. In addition to releasing nutrients, zeolite fulfills another function during periods of drought.
“It can store water because it’s very porous and hydrophilic, meaning it has a high affinity for water molecules,” Paris explains. The researcher compares the sachet to a tea bag to which granular fertilizer is added.
According to the scientists, the sachets are versatile because they increase the solubility of stored fertilizers and control the release of highly soluble sources. This reduces fertilizer loss through aerial dispersion and leaching from rainfall.
In previous work supervised by Paris, UFSCar doctoral student Camila Rodrigues Sciena had investigated a fertilizer candidate: hydroxyapatite, a phosphorus source. The goal was to increase its solubility. The scientists discovered that acidifying the medium using pectin in the starch sachet composition increased solubility when combined with nanoparticulated hydroxyapatite.
“With water, the starch becomes gelatinous and holds the fertilizer in the soil available for the plant, so that future losses due to rain or wind can be minimized. The goal is to reduce percolation [the passage of water through porous material, causing the extraction of compounds] and the dragging of particulate fertilizer inside the sachet,” says Sciena.
In the case of Malafatti’s work, the group is working with a highly soluble fertilizer that quickly dissolves when it comes into contact with water.
“In this case, the intention is for the fertilizer to be released gradually, avoiding losses due to leaching or air dispersion. It’s a sustained release, which will depend on the formulation of the sachets,” says Paris.
To test the nutrient release capacity, the sachets were kept in an aqueous medium for 30 days. The experiment demonstrated the partial release of copper ions (7 mg L-1) and urea (300 mg L-1). The hydrophilic properties of the sachets favored contact with the external environment, helping water permeation and potassium chloride release.
“The sachets obtained could minimize losses in fertilizer application, in addition to controlling the amount of nutrient that would be in contact with the soil,” say the authors.
Solubility and cytotoxicity tests were also performed on copper zeolite to determine its properties and potential interaction with the environment after release from the sachets. Cytotoxicity tests performed on cress root growth suggest 92% germination viability after one hour of exposure to zeolite, indicating its potential use in agriculture.
To verify copper availability, solubility tests were performed in water (neutral pH) and citric acid. Desorption efficiency, or the process by which a substance is released from the mass or surface of another substance, increased the availability of copper in an acidic environment, rising from 5% to 45% of the expected total.
According to Paris, ongoing research is seeking alternatives to reduce the cost of processes and materials for the prolonged release of fertilizers.
“Starch is a promising raw material, although the addition of extra components can influence the final cost of the material. In Malafatti’s work, we didn’t use starch from other sources, such as waste, for example. It’s commercial starch,” says the researcher. “But for soil fertilization, it isn’t necessary to use high-purity starch, such as that used in the food industry. So, the goal is to try to make it as cheap as possible so that agribusiness can incorporate it. Thus, the sachets have greater potential to be effectively marketed, contributing to technological advancements in agriculture.”
Another advantage is that the added fertilizer does not affect the formulation or format of the sachet during processing.
“Any granular or particulate fertilizer can be inserted into the sachet, which is another positive point for its incorporation by the industry,” Malafatti points out. Additionally, the sachet eliminates the need for agricultural workers to handle fertilizers in particle form directly.
According to Paris, the technology is still in the laboratory phase. Initial applications would be in landscaping, gardening, hydroponics, and greenhouses. For large-scale agricultural production, however, optimizations in scaling and economic viability are necessary, which are the next steps planned by the group.
Sciena points out that the sachet can be used for different crops.
“Grapes have different needs than tomatoes, for example. It’s a form of customized fertilization where you can adapt the mixture of nutrients and the type of sachet. One can be more acidic to enhance the solubilization of poorly soluble fertilizer, while another can be less acidic to slowly solubilize soluble fertilizer,” she summarizes.
Source: https://phys.org/news/2026-01-starch-sachets-fertilizer-manner-petroleum.html and https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10904-025-03655-1
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Researchers revive old pea varieties in huge seed collection: ‘An untapped gold mine for the future’.
The Nordic gene bank, NordGen, contains almost 2,000 different types of peas. Using a new AI method, researchers from the University of Copenhagen have rediscovered 51 old pea varieties that are no longer used in agriculture but may prove promising for the production of plant-based foods. The method is a shortcut to finding new resources in the green treasure troves that gene banks’ enormous seed collections represent.
The demand for plant-based foods is increasing worldwide. Peas in particular are a burgeoning source of high protein content as a substitute for meat. With their small climate footprint, peas are sustainable to grow and provide a high yield. However, the pea varieties we grow today require intensive industrial processing.
“Today, we use very few pea varieties in agriculture, which are primarily produced for their properties as pig feed, but are not intended as protein in a plant-based burger. Just as an apple is not just an apple, a pea is not just a pea, even though it may seem that way in the supermarket,” says Associate Professor René Lametsch from the Department of Food Science.
In the quest to find suitable pea varieties, researchers from the Department of Food Science at the University of Copenhagen have developed a new AI method. They have unleashed it on the Nordic gene bank NordGen, which contains almost 2,000 different types of peas, in order to identify old pea varieties that are well suited as plant protein for humans.
“The gene banks contain an enormous variety that is largely untapped today. Our method makes it possible to utilize the plant resources in the gene bank and quickly find the most interesting types,” says René Lametsch.
Using the new AI method, the researchers have found 51 old pea varieties that are no longer used in agriculture but appear to have promising properties as plant food, including high starch and protein content.
The method can automatically measure the shape, color, size and surface of the seeds from ordinary photographs. The combination of image data and information about protein content makes it possible for the AI to select a small but representative sample of peas, which can then be analyzed in depth.
“There are widely varying characteristics from variety to variety, especially in terms of starch and protein content, so it can make a lot of sense to revive some of the old varieties in our search for good ingredients for new types of plant-based foods,” says René Lametsch.
The study shows that the appearance of the seeds is closely related to their chemical composition. One feature in particular—how smooth or wrinkled the seed is—is closely linked to the type of starch the pea contains. This means that, for the first time, researchers can partially predict chemical properties based on images alone.
“We see a surprisingly large variation in the balance between the two key proteins in peas, legumin and vicilin—far greater than in today’s commercial varieties. This makes the gene bank’s old peas an untapped gold mine for the development of future plant-based foods,” concludes René Lametsch.
CRISPR-Cas9 mediated editing of starch branching enzyme, SBE2 gene in potato for enhanced resistant starch for health benefits.
Researchers from Himachal Pradesh University, ICAR-Central Potato Research Institute, and ICAR-Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research in India have successfully developed high-amylose potatoes using CRISPR-Cas9. The team targeted two starch-branching enzyme genes, SBE2.1 and SBE2.2, in the widely grown potato variety Kufri Chipsona-I to increase its resistant starch content.
Harvested Potatoes in Field.
Using Agrobacterium-mediated transformation, the researchers generated 50 edited potato lines, 70% of which were found positive for bar and Cas9 genes. Six mutant lines, K301, K302, K303, K304, K305, and K306, exhibited deletions and substitutions in the target exons. Among these mutant lines, K304 was the most efficiently edited, containing both insertion-deletion and substitution mutations in three out of the four selected targets across both genes.
The study showed that the harvested tubers from the SBE2.1 and SBE2.2 mutant K304 line showed the highest amylose (95.91%) and resistant starch content (8.69 g/100 g). Further analyses revealed that these mutants illustrated an altered crystallinity index and a substantial decline in branch chain elongation in amylopectin. The researchers conclude that CRISPR-Cas9-mediated mutagenesis of starch biosynthesis genes is an effective strategy for developing potato varieties with improved nutritional profiles and health benefits.
For more information, read the study from “Frontiers in Genome Editing” (DOI 10.3389/fgeed.2025.1686412).
Scientists have developed a gene-editing technique that improves canola yield for farmers by introducing a particular starch-producing enzyme.
Scientists at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada, have developed a gene editing technique that improves canola yield for farmers by introducing a particular starch-producing enzyme into the crop’s genetic material.
According to the Manitoba Co-operator, the research took inspiration from a prior study which targeted thale cress — a genetically similar plant — by incorporating new genetic information drawn from maize DNA in order to encode the production of starch branching enzymes (SBEs). The inclusion of this SBE-linked genetic material was found to improve starch output, resulting in plants with greater overall biomass, typically in the form of thicker and denser stems and branches.
When applied to the canola crop, the same gene editing techniques similarly boosted canola seed yield and weather resilience without compromising on quality. In particular, this high-biomass canola has been demonstrated to perform well even under drought or heat-intensive conditions, at least under the controlled conditions in which these researchers have experimented so far.
In Canada, regulations on genetically edited crops have been loosening, and as of 2023, these crops face no more scrutiny than conventionally bred plants, per the Manitoba Co-operator.
Although many people sustain anxieties regarding the safety of genetically modified foods, most concerns are grounded in the rampant misinformation surrounding GMOs, when in reality, GMO crops must all be thoroughly vetted and pass certain safety standards before landing on our shelves. Decades of in-depth research on the subject have deemed the crops that pass these regulations safe for consumption.
On top of improving crop yield and safeguarding the livelihood of many farmers, gene editing research has helped scientists develop crops that demand less water, require little to no maintenance, and can withstand pests and disease outbreaks far more effectively than plants that are conventionally grown.
Especially as our pollution-heavy activities spur changes and instabilities in our weather patterns, it’s becoming more and more essential to fortify our food security in order to support our rising global population.
“I’ll just say genetic engineering … is a huge positive,” remarked Manitoba farmer Nicolea Dow, “and I see it as likely the most important tool for a future for agriculture that’s going to give us sustainability … [and] let us combat challenges, whether it be climate challenges or disease or insects or any kind of pests.”
The Guelph researchers have thus far limited their canola yield testing to controlled scientific environments, but the team should have more comprehensive, field-ready results by the summer of 2026, after further investigation into the crop’s yield, structure, and resilience.
Unlocking new opportunities across Asia’s starch value chain through sustainability, ingredient innovation, fermentation technologies and collaboration.
Thailand today stands at a pivotal moment in the evolution of the global tapioca starch industry, shaping not only regional markets but the world’s growing appetite for sustainable, versatile, and clean label starch solutions. The conference opens with a clear message: Thailand is more than a leading producer—its practices, policies, and innovations are positioning it as an international benchmark.
Dr. Dusit Pittayathikhun, President of the Thai Tapioca Starch Association (TTSA), opens by emphasizing Thailand’s strong farmer networks, responsible cassava cultivation, and advanced processing capabilities. These factors position the nation at the forefront of the transition toward a biobased economy.
Prof. Jono Newby of CIAT expands the view with a regional outlook on cassava production. Cassava’s resilience and versatility make it crucial for both food security and industrial applications, but evolving climate and market conditions require ongoing innovation and support for farmers.
A strategic panel featuring Dr. Werawat Lertwanawatana of Siam Modified Starch and Simon Bentley of Commoditia explores how climate challenges, market volatility, and global competition are pushing the cassava starch industry toward diversification and value-added products.
This theme continues with Dr. Siwarutt Boonyarattanakalin, who presents advances in modified tapioca starch for food and pharmaceutical applications, underscoring the importance of high-performance, clean-label ingredients.
Ingredient innovation is highlighted through sessions on cassava-based fibres by Sanguan Wongse Industries, sustainability-driven texturizing systems from Ingredion, and Agrocorp International’s shift toward plant-based dairy ingredients using pea protein and starch derivatives.
Sustainability plays a major role as Dole Specialty Ingredients demonstrates how banana and pineapple residues can be upcycled into valuable starch-based ingredients, and A*STAR discusses alternative feedstocks for precision fermentation.
Prefer and Pure Mylk present further opportunities: converting fermented byproducts into coffee ingredients and turning regional crops into plant-based beverage bases.
The event concludes with a panel led by Santi Abakaz of the Future Food Network, exploring AI-driven flavor innovation and the rise of fermentation-enabled alternative proteins. Collectively, the sessions reveal how Thailand and Asia are reshaping the global starch landscape through innovation, circularity, and collaboration.
For more details, like the event agenda, follow the link below.
Dei Biopharma opens a $50 million cassava plant in Namasagali, Kamuli (Uganda).
Uganda’s quest for pharmaceutical self-reliance is set to take a decisive step this month when Dei Biopharma commissions a cassava starch manufacturing plant in Namasagali in the eastern district of Kamulu.
The 50-million-dollar investment marks the first phase of what the company describes as the “Dei Group Advanced Agro-processing Park” – an ambitious industrial zone designed to supply locally manufactured excipients and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) to the firm’s manufacturing complex in Matugga near Kampala.
The facility, to be commissioned by President Yoweri Museveni on November 20, 2025, will serve both as a lifeline for farmers and a cornerstone for local production of pharmaceutical ingredients. On the same day, President Museveni will also commission Dei Group’s organic fertilizer plant at Nansololo, also in Kamuli, also a project in the park.
The founder and managing director of Dei Biopharma, Dr. Matthias Magoola, says, “We are among the first companies in Africa to manufacture our own excipients and active pharmaceutical ingredients”, adding that “Our decision to invest in start production is strategic – to make Uganda competitive in drug manufacturing by reducing dependence on imported inputs”.
According to Dr. Magoola, Africa imports up to 85 percent of all essential medicines, mainly because the continent lacks facilities capable of producing base pharmaceutical ingredients.
“Almost 99 percent of the starch and other excipients used in tablet and capsule production are imported. That makes local manufacturing expensive and uncompetitive. By producing our won starch, glucose, and malt sugars here, we close a critical cost gap”, said Dr. Magoola.
Namasagali was chosen for both its geography and logistics. Located along the banks of River Nile and close to Lake Kyoga, the site connects easily to major cassava-growing regions in northern Uganda, eastern Uganda, and even the Democratic Republic of Congo.
For Uganda’s cassava farmers, particularly those in the regions of Busoga, Bukedi, Lango, and Teso, the cassava starch plant presents a new and reliable market.
The plant will require about 500 metric tonnes of cassava daily, the equivalent of produce from 50 acres daily, providing significant alternative to sugarcane farming, which has dominated the area for decades.
Dei Biopharma has already registered over 3,000 farmers and distributed planting materials for Nilocus-1, a high-yield cassava variety developed by Ugandan crop scientists.
Says Dr Magoola: “Our goal is to ensure consistent raw material supply while improving farmer incomes. A farmer growing cassava will earn roughly triple what a sugarcane farmer earns on the same piece of land, because cassava has a shorter growing cycle and higher returns per kilogram. They also sell stems for planting, so it is a win-win”.
The company is working with agricultural extension officers to tarin farmers in modern cassava cultivation and post-harvest handling.
While starch is the plant’s flagship product, its applications stretch far beyond pharmaceuticals.
Dei Biopharma is now producing glucose, maltose (malt sugar) and two grades of fructose – all key ingredients in beverage, food, and drug manufacturing. They will also extract sorbitol, marnitol, and dextrose.
Dr. Magoola says they are starting with five products, but will eventually extract over 100 derivatives from cassva, maize, and potatoes.
The company’s facility includes technology to modify starch for specialized uses and to produce Vitamin C and other sugar derivatives critical in pharmaceutical production.
Once the United States Food and Drug Authority approves, Dei Biopharma will start exporting starch and other intermediaries to markets across Africa and the global South.
Says Dr. Magoola: “When our starch secures FDA certification, Uganda will not only meet local demand but also export pharmaceutical-grade starch to other countries”.
According to Dr. Magoola, cassava offers dual benefits – both food and income. He says when you grow cassava or maize, you can sell to the factory and still keep some for your own household, adding that it is an approach that addresses food and income security simultaneously.
The starch factory is only one part of Dei Biopharma’s broader agro-industrial blueprint.
On the 5,000-acre estate, the company is developing a fully-integrated hub that will include a fertilizer plant producing organic inputs from animal waste and a biotechnology complex for veterinary vaccines.
“We are constructing a Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) vaccine facility with capacity to produce 100 million doses annually, and it is already 50 percent complete.
“We will also produce vaccines for poultry and swine fever using formulations we have developed locally”, says Dr. Magoola.
By developing an end-to-end manufacturing chain – from farm to finished pharmaceutical product – Dei Biopharma aims to position Uganda as a regional centre for biopharmaceutical innovation and agro-industrial exports.
Dr. Magoola describes it as an “advanced park” because, unlike most agro-processing facilities in Africa, it focusses on extracting high-value compoents such as modified startch and API precursors.
Dei Biopharma’s Matugga facility, partly operational, has 30 production plants designed to manufacture a range of essential medicines – from intravenous fluids to oncology drugs and drugs for other rare diseases.
The addition of the Namasagali starch plant completes a key part of the supply chain – ensuring raw materials are locally sourced, costs are reduced, and production becomes globally competitive.
According to Dr. Magoola, the ultimate goal is to make quality medicines affordable to every Ugandan and every African.
“By controlling our inputs and manufacturing locally, we save foreign exchange, build industrial capacity, and create thousands of decent jobs”, he says.
Commissioning of the starch plant signals a shift from dependency to production; from importing what Africa needs to building what Africa can export.
For the country’s farmers, scientists, and industrialists, the launch of the Namasagali starch plant marks the beginning of a new kind of value chain, where agriculture and science converge to power national growth.
Sweden and Denmark advance CRISPR-edited starch potato trials.
Project Oppotunity, a collaboration of 12 European organisations in the starch potato chain, has completed its first field trials with CRISPR-Cas-edited starch potatoes developed for late blight resistance. The 2025 trials took place in Sweden and Denmark and were accompanied by a seed multiplication program to supply material for larger trials in 2026.
According to the project, the gene-edited lines were created using CRISPR-Cas applied to Kuras, a widely used European starch variety provided by Agrico. Hans Berggren, secretary of Project Oppotunity, said, “Only last year we created the first seedlings and cultivated them in a greenhouse to produce seed-tubers, and have now grown these so-called mini-tubers in the field during the 2025 growing season.” He added, “I’m very optimistic that by 2026 and onwards, we can show stakeholders the power of NGTs in the field via enhanced potato genotypes tolerant to a plant disease as severe as late blight. We have proven the speed this technology brings to adapt potatoes to urgent and changing environmental requirements.”
Seed multiplication was carried out in parallel to generate larger volumes of seed potatoes for multi-location trials in 2026. These will measure resistance levels and agronomic performance under commercial-style management.
Late blight caused by Phytophthora infestans remains a key constraint for potato growers, who often apply multiple fungicide sprays each season. New pathogen strains continue to emerge, creating pressure on existing chemistry and resistance sources. Oppotunity position gene-edited resistance as a tool to reduce fungicide reliance if EU rules for new breeding methods allow the use of NGTs in commercial production.
Sjefke Allefs, potato breeder at Agrico and project partner, said, “It will still take some years to verify the effects and select the single event that will deliver an appropriate increased late blight tolerance so that it contributes to a more sustainable starch potato cultivation.” He added that the overall process is “8–10 years faster than what can be achieved with traditional breeding.” By directly editing a resistance trait into Kuras rather than relying on repeated crossing, the partners aim to preserve existing agronomic and processing characteristics while adding targeted disease tolerance.
Project Oppotunity includes Aardevo, Agrana, Agrico, Emsland Stärke, Finnamyl (Chemigate), KMC, Lyckeby, Niehoff, Norika, SolEdits, Südstärke and AKV. The group aims to maintain the competitiveness of the European starch potato sector and supports a regulatory framework in which certain gene-edited plants are treated the same as conventionally bred varieties.
With seed stocks now increased, the consortium will move to broader 2026 trials to assess late blight pressure, resistance levels, yield, starch characteristics, and fungicide requirements compared with standard Kuras and other commercial checks. Performance data and the evolving EU regulatory framework will determine whether an edited line progresses toward commercialisation and whether the approach could be applied to other starch varieties.
Trade Kings Group commissions Zambia’s first glucose and starch plant.
Zambia inaugurated its first glucose and starch factory, a $110 million investment by Kingsworth Group Limited, a subsidiary of Trade Kings Group.
The plant will process 126,000 tons of maize annually to produce glucose, starch, and animal feed by-products.
The project aims to reduce Zambia’s $15 million annual imports of glucose and starch and strengthen local industrial capacity.
Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema on October 21 inaugurated the country’s first industrial glucose and starch production plant in the Lusaka South Multi-Facility Economic Zone (MFEZ). The $110 million facility was financed by Kingsworth Group Limited, part of the Zambian conglomerate Trade Kings Group.
The new factory marks a milestone for Zambia’s industrial sector, which has seen strong growth in food and beverage production. The facility will manufacture glucose and starch for use in the agro-processing and manufacturing industries, as well as animal feed by-products.
Although production capacity figures were not disclosed, company officials said the plant will process about 126,000 tons of maize each year.
Phil Daka, Trade Kings Group’s Executive Director for Corporate Affairs, said the plant will source maize from local farmers. “We are celebrating not only a factory, but an idea whose time has come,” Daka said. “This investment positions Zambia as the third producer of glucose and starch in Africa, after Egypt and South Africa.”
The project aims to strengthen local value chains and substitute imports to meet Zambia’s rising domestic demand for industrial ingredients. Between 2022 and 2024, Zambia imported an average of $11.7 million worth of glucose and $3 million of starch annually, according to Trade Map data.
