Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC) is building a new pea protein isolate production plant dedicated to its Plant Proteins business, at the site of its existing industrial complex in Yorkton, Saskatchewan, Canada.
Michael Gelchie, LDC’s Chief Executive Officer, said: “As a leading global merchant and processor of agricultural goods, LDC is committed to helping meet demand for food, feed and biofuels through our integrated and expanding North American industrial centers – Claypool (Indiana) and Upper Sandusky (Ohio) in the US, and Yorkton (Saskatchewan) in Canada.
“And like other key development projects for LDC in North America, the investment announced today is an important step in the Group’s global growth strategy, as part of our plans to diversify revenue through value-added products – in this case, addressing growing demand for high-quality, nutritious and sustainable plant-based protein alternatives.”
Expected to be ready by the end of 2025, the new facility will enable LDC to deliver to customers highly functional, taste-neutral, nutritious ingredients, well-suited for dairy alternatives, high-protein nutrition solutions and other plant-based applications.
It will also expand and accelerate the company’s existing pea protein isolate and non-GMO soy isolate offering. The new plant is expected to employ approximately 60 people.
“Pea protein demand continues to grow, due to its non-allergen and non-GMO status, and its sustainability and versatility across many food applications,” said Thibaut Ferté, LDC’s Head of Plant Proteins.
“Leveraging our expertise, value chain and global asset footprint, we aim to address current industry challenges with a unique and best-in-class product. This was made possible thanks to proprietary technology developed at our dedicated R&D center in Livermore, California, where we continue to build future solutions alongside our customers, including plans to expand beyond pea and soy, to offer a range of premium proteins.”