ADM completes deal to buy Probiotics International Limited

16-Aug-2018 - Last updated on 16-Aug-2018 at 14:49 GMT

Credit: ADM Protexin Limited

US-based Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) has completed its acquisition of UK-based Probiotics International Limited - known under its umbrella brand Protexin.

The £185 million (€206m) deal, announced in June, is the latest in a series of investments as ADM continues to expand its portfolio of health and wellness offerings in both human and animal nutrition.

Last year, ADM acquired Spanish microbial technologies player Biopolis and has since announced a number of other research and development partnerships in the prebiotics and probiotics, including a microbiome collaboration with the Mayo Clinic.

“We are building our capabilities to help our customers address fast-growing demands across the food and beverage, infant nutrition, personal care, animal nutrition and pharmaceutical segments,” commented Vikram Luthar, president, ADM Health & Wellness.

ADM Protexin Limited—as the company will now be known – manufactures popular brands of probiotic supplements including Bio-Kult and Lepicol brands in the human nutrition space. The firm also offers a variety of natural products and probiotic supplements for the veterinary, agriculture and equine healthcare markets.

“We are delighted to join ADM’s Health & Wellness business,” said Jonathan Sowler, Protexin commercial director. “With numerous areas of expertise between Protexin, ADM and Biopolis, we will develop a wide range of fully integrated market-leading probiotics and nutraceuticals products promoting health and wellness in both humans and animals.”

ADM said the addition of a leading natural healthcare and probiotics business positions it to provide fully integrated probiotics and nutraceuticals for consumer and commercial markets.

“With its leading human and animal nutrition brands sold in markets around the world, Protexin is an ideal addition to ADM’s established Health & Wellness business, which already includes a comprehensive range of ingredients such as bioactives, botanical extracts and specialty nutritional oils,” said Luthar.

“We are excited to combine Protexin’s portfolio of high-quality probiotic products, along with its international commercial network and marketing and regulatory expertise, with ADM’s world-class research and development capabilities to help offer customers a full range of health and wellness products and solutions.”