Evonik multiplies production capacity for probiotics

Essen, Germany. Evonik has modernized and expanded probiotics production at its site in León, Spain, laying the foundations for further growth in the Gut Health Solutions business. The capacity for producing Ecobiol®, Fecinor® and GutCare® has been more than doubled. The León site can now produce the equivalent of 6,000 metric tons of blended final probiotic product per year.

With a stronger focus on probiotic-based alternatives to antibiotic growth promoters, Evonik’s Animal Nutrition business line aims to provide solutions that ensure the well-being and performance of the animal while protecting human health and supplying a growing world population with high-quality animal protein.

“Providing sustainable solutions for improving animal health and well-being is a matter close to our hearts, and at the same time a strategically important growth business for Evonik,” says Gaetano Blanda, head of Evonik’s Animal Nutrition business line. “With this expansion in León comes the ability to meet the growing demand for our probiotics product line. We will continue to demonstrate the impact of our solutions on the microbiome, gut function, and animal performance.”

Probiotics are living microorganisms added to animal feed to maintain or restore the microbial balance in the animals' intestines. “As long as there are enough 'good' bacteria to keep potential pathogens at bay, an animal remains healthy,” explains Torben Madsen, head of Sustainable Healthy Nutrition at Evonik Animal Nutrition. “A stable gut microbiota also strengthens the animal's immune system, helping to prevent disease.”

Evonik Animal Nutrition has developed an innovative portfolio of Gut Health Solutions based on probiotics for swine, poultry and aquaculture. Its probiotics line – from the fermentation of active microorganisms to the finished feed additive and pre-blends – have been manufactured in León since 2016. The site has been developed and optimized continuously.

In 2022, Evonik has invested in state-of-the-art fermentation capacities, a new cooling circuit system and a new warehouse at the site, which became operational recently.

In addition to boosting production capacity, the new facilities and improved processes bring important sustainability improvements for the company. Energy, fresh water and raw material use per product have been significantly reduced and, since January 2023, the site has been using electricity exclusively from renewable energy sources.