Danisco Cultures communications manager Nathalie Brosse told NutraIngredients.com that health and nutrition is a major factor in driving increasing demand for cultures. In dietary supplements, demand is growing at a rate of around 15 percent. Brosse also said their use in beverages and probiotics is "developing nicely", as is the United States as a market. Sales for fresh dairy products are growing by between nine and ten percent, but cheese by only about two to three percent. The new facilities will become available only gradually between now and the end of 2007. The investment will allow for improved productivity of existing equipment, as well as purchasing of new, state-of-the art equipment. "This new investment in Sassenage is part of our global industrial strategy in line with our ambition to become the market leader in cultures," said Fabienne Saadane-Oaks, president of Danisco Cultures. The announcement is part of a plan to increase cultures production on a worldwide basis, and comes on the back of a capacity increase at Danisco's Niebüll, Germany site, which is expected to be effective from the beginning of 2006. Brosse said that further news is expected by the end of the year as to expansion at Danisco's other culture's sites, in Dangé Saint Romain and Epernon in France, Olsztyn in Poland, and Madison in the United States. Although she could not reveal the full capacity which the company will have once the programme is fully implemented, she said that it will be close to that of the leading cultures producer - believed by NutraIngredients.com to be Chr Hansen. One of the company's nine unites, Danisco's cultures unit was created in 2004, after the acquisition of Rhodia Foods, whose food ingredients division was very active in the cultures market. According to a report published by Frost & Sullivan this month, rising cheese consumption and rising consumer demand for low-lactose and lactose-free dairy products is driving Europe's $65.5m dairy enzyme market. Development has also been spurred on by dairy processors' increasing desires to bump up earnings across the industry. Many firms are trying to add value to products like cheese and milk, which have been bogged down in commodity categories. External links to companies or organisations mentioned in thisstory: Danisco Frost & Sullivan
