The 7th EU Starch Value Chain & Fermentation covers a full value-chain approach discussing issues from innovations to achieve better yields , valorising of starch waste streams to the agility of starch biorefineries that produce a wide variety of ingredients serving all bioeconomy outlets, enabling the sector to be near zero-waste.
Proteins produced by the EU starch industry (eg cereal crop- maize, wheat, barley and rice), peas and starch potatoes are valuable components that will significantly contribute to the competitiveness of the EU starch industry.
In its continuous research effort to valorise the whole plant, the EU starch industry has developed outlets for plant based protein products and their Innovative functionalities.
In leveraging the full value chain of the starch industy, this year’s conference expands to discussions on fermentation – a critical process linked to the starch industry, especially in the production of various value-added products. Fermentation utilizes microorganisms such as bacteria, yeast, and fungi to convert carbohydrates (like starch) into other chemical compounds.
Ongoing research and development are crucial for advancing fermentation technologies, improving yields, and discovering new applications for starch-derived products. The 7th EU Starch Value Chain & Fermentation is a must attend event and have been brought around the region to many European cities.
Supported by Starch Europe, the key highlights of the conference includes discussions on
A new European Parliament/Commission; implications for the EU starch industry
Value chain diversification for a corn ethanol biorefinery
Increasing the value of by-products from starch production
Value added ingredients from agri side streams
UPF – Ultra Processed Foods – Reacting, reflecting and responding to customers needs in the context of starch
Innovations in milling processes to make pulse starch resistant
New value chain and fermentation pathways for the EU starch industry
Chemicals from renewable raw materials and many more
Separately bookable site visit at the EMSLAND starch facility in Kyritz, Germany.
A biofriendly new material made from barley starch blended with fibre from sugarbeet waste sees the light of day at the University of Copenhagen – a strong material that turns into compost should it end up in nature. In the long term, the researchers hope that their invention can help put the brakes on plastic pollution while reducing the climate footprint of plastic production.
Enormous islands of it float in our oceans and microscopic particles of it are in our bodies. The durability, malleability and low cost of plastics has made them ubiquitous, from packaging to clothing to aircraft parts. But plastics have a downside. Plastics contaminate nature, are tough to recycle and their production emits more CO2 than all air traffic combined.
Now, researchers at the University of Copenhagen’s Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences have invented a new material made from modified starch that can completely decompose in nature – and do so within only two months. The material is made using natural plant material from crops and could be used for food packaging, among many other things.
“We have an enormous problem with our plastic waste that recycling seems incapable of solving. Therefore, we’ve developed a new type of bioplastic that is stronger and can better withstand water than current bioplastics. At the same time, our material is one hundred percent biodegradable and can be converted into compost by microorganisms if it ends up somewhere other than a bin,” says Professor Andreas Blennow of the Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences.
Only about nine percent of plastic is recycled globally, with the rest being either incinerated or winding up in nature or dumped into enormous plastic landfills.
Bioplastics already exist, but the name is misleading says Professor Blennow. While today’s bioplastics are made of bio-derived materials, only a limited part of them is actually degradable, and only under special conditions in industrial composting plants.
The researchers’ plastic film made from barley starch.
“I don’t find the name suitable because the most common types of bioplastics don’t break down that easily if tossed into nature. The process can take many years and some of it continues to pollute as microplastic. Specialized facilities are needed to break down bioplastics. And even then, a very limited part of them can be recycled, with the rest ending up as waste,” says the researcher.
The new material is a so-called biocomposite and composed of several different substances that decompose naturally. Its main ingredients, amylose and cellulose, are common across the plant kingdom. Amylose is extracted from many crops including corn, potatoes, wheat and barley.
Together with researchers from Aarhus University, the research team founded a spinoff company in which they developed a barley variety that produces pure amylose in its kernels. This new variety is important because pure amylose is far less likely to turn into a paste when it interacts with water compared to regular starch. Cellulose is a carbohydrate found in all plants and we know it from cotton and linen fibers, as well as from wood and paper products. The cellulose used by the researchers is a so-called nanocellulose made from local sugar industry waste. And these nanocellulose fibers, which are one thousand times smaller than the fibers of linen and cotton, are what contribute to the material’s mechanical strength.
“Amylose and cellulose form long, strong molecular chains. Combining them has allowed us to create a durable, flexible material that has the potential to be used for shopping bags and the packaging of goods that we now wrap in plastic,” says Andreas Blennow.
The new biomaterial is produced by either dissolving the raw materials in water and mixing them together or by heating them under pressure. By doing so, small ‘pellets’ or chips are created that can then be processed and compressed into a desired form.
Thus far, the researchers have only produced prototypes in the laboratory. But according to Professor Blennow, getting production started in Denmark and many other places in the world would be relatively easy.
“The entire production chain of amylose-rich starch already exists. Indeed, millions of tons of pure potato and corn starch are produced every year and used by the food industry and elsewhere. Therefore, easy access to the majority of our ingredients is guaranteed for the large-scale production of this material,” he says.
Andreas Blennow and his fellow researchers are now processing a patent application that, once it has been approved, could pave the way for production of the new biocomposite material. Because, despite the huge sums of money being devoted to sorting and recycling our plastic, the researcher does not believe that it will really be a success. Doing so should be seen as a transitional technology until we bid fossil-based plastics a final farewell.
“Recycling plastic efficiently is anything but straightforward. Different things in plastics must be separated from each other and there are major differences between plastic types, meaning that the process must be done in a safe way so that no contaminants end up in the recycled plastic. At the same time, countries and consumers must sort their plastic. This is a massive task that I don’t see us succeeding at. Instead, we should rethink things in terms of utilizing new materials that perform like plastic, but don’t pollute the planet,” says Blennow.
The researcher is already collaborating with two Danish packaging companies to develop prototypes for food packaging, among other things. He envisions many other uses for the material as well, such as for the interior trims of cars by the automotive industry. Though it is difficult to say when this biofriendly barley-based plastic will reach the shelves, the researcher predicts that the new material may become a reality in the foreseeable future.
“It’s quite close to the point where we can really start producing prototypes in collaboration with our research team and companies. I think it’s realistic that different prototypes in soft and hard packaging, such as trays, bottles and bags, will be developed within one to five years,” concludes Andreas Blennow.
Chinese, Pakistani enterprises sign MoU to build potato starch plant in Pakistan.
In a significant move towards strengthening economic ties between Pakistan and China, leading enterprises from both countries Henan Ruzhou Ideal Starch and KASB Corporation of Pakistan, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to construct a state-of-the-art potato starch plant in Pakistan.
This strategic partnership aims to leverage the abundant potato resources available in the region and cater to the growing demand for this versatile agricultural product, said Ghulam Qadir Trade and Investment Counsellor at the Embassy of Pakistan in China.
Ghulam Qadir Trade and Investment Counsellor said after the fruitful visit of Prime Minister of Pakistan Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif to China, business-to-business collaboration is enhancing.
This MoU will harness the expertise and technological prowess of the Chinese partners, ensuring the efficient and sustainable production of high-quality potato starch. This venture is expected to not only bolster Pakistan’s agricultural sector but also contribute to the region’s overall economic development, China Economic Net (CEN) reported.
According to the MoU between the two enterprises memorandum of understanding will provide a new cooperation mechanism for both parties, covering knowledge sharing, technology transfer, capacity building, project management, and investment promotion in the fields of agriculture and processed products.
MoU further describes that both parties fully utilize the years of experience accumulated in the fields of agriculture and processed products, leveraged by the currently favorable bilateral business environment between China and Pakistan, to pledge to the project landing in Pakistan.
Henan Ruzhou Ideal Starch and KASB Corporation of Pakistan will work hard together to become the first successful potato deep processing project cooperation between China and Pakistan.
Roquette elevates softgel technology with gelatin alternative capsules based on hydroxypropylated starch.
Roquette, a company involved in plant-based ingredients and a provider of pharmaceutical and nutraceutical excipients, has launched its new LYCAGEL Flex hydroxypropyl pea starch premix for nutraceutical and pharmaceutical softgel capsules.
Built on Roquette’s LYCAGEL pea starch technology, the new plasticizer-free excipient gives manufacturers freedom to select the optimal plasticizer combination and customize formulations for a range of production and end-user needs.
According to Roquette, LYCAGEL Flex represents “the ultimate solution for manufacturers seeking a quality, plant-based alternative to gelatin, with the added flexibility to handle a wide range of – often complex – soft capsule formulations.”
The new premix features the same hydroxypropyl pea starch and carrageenan foundation as the original LYCAGEL VS 720 Premix, with a new formula that allows producers to select the perfect plasticizer or combination of plasticizers for unique softgel formulations. Versatile and easy to use, LYCAGEL Flex offers countless opportunities to work with specialized capsule fills and process parameters to meet the demands of the evolving pharmaceutical and nutraceutical markets.
Lycagel Flex provides formulators with flexible alternatives to gelatin-based softgel capsules and taps into the demand for animal-free solutions.
“At Roquette, our guiding purpose is to solve the toughest challenges in drug delivery,” comments Steve Amoussou-Guenou, Technical Developer Manager Europe at Roquette. “This can take many forms; with the development of our LYCAGEL VS 720 Premix, the primary goal was to provide softgel producers with a high-quality ready-to-use alternative to gelatin. Now, as vegan capsules become more established, we recognize that our customers need greater control to customize their formulations. LYCAGEL Flex is the answer, offering the same stability and performance with the added flexibility to differentiate.”
LYCAGEL Flex offers softgel producers a plant-based solution that not only replaces gelatin, but equally offers significant process benefits. These include a reduced degassing time of just five minutes, versus the minimum 60 required for gelatin formulations, and the potential for easy equipment cleaning with only hot water.
Looking beyond the production line, the new premix delivers strong performance and stability throughout a product’s shelf life. Upon testing, capsules produced using LYCAGEL Flex maintained a clear, shiny appearance and optimal hardness with no sticking or seal leakage following six months of storage at 40° C and 75% relative humidity (RH). With no significant increase in disintegration time or water content after months in storage, the capsules did not display crosslinking, demonstrating their ability to maintain the same mechanical strength and capsule integrity at day 180, as they had directly after the production process.
The Starch Pros team is looking for colleagues to help us with our starch projects.
It goes without saying that we are looking for experienced team players that have 10+ years of experience in the starch industry. Preferable in a starch production environment.
Do you have experience in starch its basic research, applications, production and modification processes, quality and/or customers, then contact us in order to see how we can come to a better introduction to one another.
Preferably we are looking for colleagues that speak English fluently, have academic qualifications and are willing to be based in our hub in Western Europe, more in particular in The Netherlands or Belgium.
So when you are the starch specialist, starch chemist, starch technologist or starch engineer, please send us your resume and your ‘resume of skills’ to info@starchpros.com with Starch Specialist in the subject line.
We are looking forward meeting you!!
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Tereos and Futerro team up to produce bioplastic from wheat-based dextrose.
Futerro, a Belgian pioneer and leader in the production of lactic acid, lactide and polylactic acid – PLA – and Tereos, a cooperative group active in the sugar, ethanol and starch markets, have signed a supply agreement that paves the way for the creation of a new biomanufacturing platform. Under the agreement, Tereos undertakes to supply Futerro annually with 150,000 tonnes of dextrose derived from wheat starch produced at its Lillebonne plant, which Futerro will use to produce various bio-based platform molecules and PLA at the new biorefinery it plans to construct. The project will be located in the industrial-port area of Port-Jérôme-Sur-Seine. The integrated plant, with a projected initial capacity of 75,000 per annum, will go into operation in 2027.
The Tereos plant in Lillebonne processes more than 800,000 tonnes of French wheat per year. To meet the agreed volume of dextrose, some €30 million will soon be invested in adapting the production facilities.
“Tereos is the third-biggest producer of starch products in Europe. Our expertise in maximising the value of plant-based raw materials such as wheat means that we produce quality dextrose. This partnership with Futerro heralds the creation of a new industrial sector around green chemistry and strengthens our position in this market of the future,” said Olivier Leducq, managing director of Tereos.
This kind of short supply chain, combined with local production, offers environmental benefits in terms of logistics and the optimum utilisation of agricultural by-products.
A pipeline system will connect the two neighbouring plants, optimising dextrose logistics. Futerro currently estimates that nearly 50% of its logistics flows will avoid road transport.
An estimated 1,150 jobs will be created along the new value chain between the two companies, 250 directly and 900 indirectly.
“This strategic alliance highlights the crucial role of green chemistry as a driving force for innovation. Thanks to the support of our partners, we believe our biorefinery project will make a significant contribution to a positive transition for the sector, the Normandy basin and France as a whole. It builds on efforts to address the environmental and economic challenges that have affected the sector for many years”, said Frédéric Van Gansberghe, CEO of Futerro.
Futerro constructed its first lactic acid polymerisation demonstration plant in Belgium in 2007. The company opened its industrial PLA production unit, with a production capacity of 100,000 tonnes per year, in China in 2021. Its PLA is sold in the market under the Renew brand name. Futerro has developed technologies covering the entire PLA supply chain, from the fermentation of dextrose into lactic acid, to the polymerisation into PLA and finally end-of-life management via its patented molecular recycling technology known as Loopla.
3 Killed, 1 injured in blast at cassava starch factory.
The explosion happened around midnight Thursday due to an electrical short circuit in the facility’s packaging room.
Three people were killed in a blast at a cassava starch factory, according to Phạm Tấn Lợi, head of the Tân Châu District Division of Labour, Invalids, and Social Affairs, during a press briefing on Friday.
One person sustained mild injuries and is currently receiving medical treatment.
The explosion occurred around midnight on Thursday due to an electrical short circuit in the facility’s packaging room.
The scene of the accident at Trường Thịnh Co Ltd’s factory in Tân Châu District of Tây Ninh Province. — Photo baotayninh.vn
The technical malfunction resulted in the explosion of the starch pipeline, causing heavy equipment to strike four workers in the room at the time.
They were rushed to the emergency department at Chợ Rẫy Hospital, a major central medical facility in HCM City, but unfortunately succumbed to their injuries on Friday afternoon.
Autopsies were conducted, and the bodies have been handed over to their respective families for funeral arrangements. Local authorities have also visited the families to offer condolences.
The police are conducting a follow-up investigation at the accident scene.
Unilever seeks Kenyan partner in new corn starch production venture.
British multinational fast-moving consumer goods company, Unilever Plc has moved to revive a local corn starch production venture as part of its localisation strategy aimed at cutting raw material costs to shore up margins that are under pressure on the slowing detergents business in the East and West African region.
Ben Lang’at, the company’s executive vice-president in charge of the East and West African region said the corn starch production plan is at an advanced stage and discussions are ongoing to get into a joint venture with an undisclosed company.
Corn starch, an extract from maize grains, is a common food ingredient, often used to thicken sauces or soups and to make corn syrup and other sugars. It is also a component of many cosmetics and oral pharmaceutical products. It has been used as a lubricant in surgical gloves.
“Kenya produces a lot of maize, these (corn starch) are not the type of things that we should be importing, so we need to work on this and also focus on localising our raw materials in all aspects,” Mr Lang’at said in an interview.
“We need to make sure that this kind of raw materials (corn starch) that are common to our base products like Royco are available locally. So we are working with different partnerships to ensure that that happens. It (joint venture deal) is quite in an advanced stage,” he said in an interview.
Unilever currently offers a wide range of products in various categories, including beauty and wellness, personal care, home care, nutrition, and ice cream products.
However, the market for home care products— including laundry and washing detergents—in the East and West African region is facing headwinds as a result of the proliferation of cheap imports, forex shortage, and civil conflicts in some economies.
Unilever Kenya is looking at the new line of business as a fresh stream of revenues as well as an opportunity to create an alternative market for maize grain for Kenyan farmers.
The proposed wet milling operations will produce sweeteners, corn starch, and corn syrups. “You know Kenya used to have a company that was producing corn starch, those kind of things are the things we need to really work to make sure that they are there. It (corn refining company) was there and it went out, I don’t know what happened,” Lang’at said.
“We will continue focusing on local sourcing to ensure that we have a sustainable business. Localisation is very big for us,” he added.
Corn Products Kenya Limited (CPC), a local subsidiary of an American grocery products company CPC International Inc. shut down its Eldoret-based plant in July 2012, after close to four decades of operation, citing rising operational costs, competitive environment, and the influx of cheap imports.
More than 500 workers who depended on the company directly and indirectly were rendered redundant.
Before its closure, CPC was buying over 15,000 bags of maize from farmers every month.
The National Cereals and Produce Board has been facing challenges of inadequate budgetary allocation to purchase maize from farmers, most of whom have opted to sell the grains to private millers and traders who offer better prices and prompt payment.
Kenya’s annual maize requirement is estimated at 52 million bags to cater for human consumption, the manufacture of livestock feeds, seed multiplication, and the manufacture of other products.
Unilever is keen to grow and expand its Kenyan market with hopes of transforming the country into a sourcing hub of its other regional markets in East and West Africa.
“Kenya is one of our best markets where we still have a full range of offerings that have had strong performance in the last few years,” Lang’at said. “The plans that we have for Kenya, first, is to grow the business significantly. There is room for expansion. There is room for us to execute even more strongly than we are doing right now; that is to expand our route to market and ensure that we have innovations that are relevant.
Serbia’s Almex invests 3.5 mln euro in Jabuka starch factory.
Serbia company Almex invested 3.5 million euro in the automation of production at its Jabuka starch factory in the central city of Pancevo, the economy ministry said.
The economy ministry is providing 701,135 euro in incentives for the investment project, economy minister Slobodan Cvetkovic said in a press release last week.
According to the Serbian business registry, Almex is controlled by Miroslav and Srdjan Aleksa, who own 60% and 40% of the company. It was established in May 1992.
