Family-owned fermentation group: yeast, fermentation nutrients, biotechnology solutions and CDMO services since 1853.
Lesaffre
Marcq-en-Barœul (FR) · Strasbourg (FR) · Cérences (FR) · Legnica (PL) · Ming Guang (CN) · Laibin (CN) · Chongzuo (CN) · Linxi County/Chifeng (CN) · Evry (FR) · Brisbane, CA (US) · Van Wert, OH (US)New on Amplifa
About Lesaffre
Lesaffre is a family business founded in 1853 in northern France and today a globally active provider in the field of fermentation and microorganisms. The company develops, produces and markets solutions based on yeast (S. cerevisiae), yeast extracts, bacteria, filamentous fungi, phages and enzymes for the bakery, food, animal health and animal nutrition, plant health, cosmetics, nutraceuticals, biopharmaceuticals, wine/beer/spirits as well as bioethanol and green chemistry industries. The value creation includes industrial fermentation including precision fermentation, downstream processing (extraction, purification, crystallization), drying (spray, fluidized bed and box drying), granulation, coating, powder blending, liquid formulations and contract packaging. Through its business units LIS (contract drying), Ennolys (CDMO fermentation) and Procelys (fermentation nutrients), Lesaffre offers services from laboratory scale to large-scale industrial production. Research is consolidated in the Lesaffre Institut of Science & Technologie (LIST) with more than 850 experts and a master strain collection of more than 20,000 strains. The group generates revenue of around €3.2 billion with 11,700 employees in more than 50 countries; headquarters are located in Marcq-en-Barœul (France).
- Site
- Marcq-en-Barœul, France
- Processes
- Industrial fermentation (bacteria, filamentous fungi or yeast-based biomass fermentation,, Drying bioprocesses (drying), Extraction and purification of microorganisms and molecules (DownStream Processing, DSP), Spray-drying of food, dietary supplement, pharmaceutical and, Liquid formulations, Powder blending, Contract packaging, Intensive fluidized bed granulation to improve dispersibility,
- Materials
- Yeast (S. cerevisiae), Yeast extracts, Bacteria (including Pediococcus acidilactici, lactobacilli, bacilli), Filamentous fungi, Phages (bacteriophages), Enzymes, Probiotics, Sugarcane
- Certificates
- Certificates
- Founded
- 1853
- Employees
- 11700
- Industries
- Bakery, Food, Animal Health & Animal Nutrition, Plant Health & Plant Nutrition, Cosmetics, Nutraceuticals
- 01
Strain development (biofoundry, genome editing, adaptive laboratory evolution)
- 02
Fermentation process development and scale-up
- 03
Industrial fermentation
- 04
Downstream processing (extraction, purification, crystallization)
- 05
Drying (spray, fluidized bed, box drying)
- 06
Formulation (powder blending, liquid formulations, contract packaging)
Raw Materials & Microorganisms
Yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae)
Core organism for baker's yeast, yeast extracts, bioethanol and fermentation nutrients.
Yeast extracts / autolyzed yeast / yeast peptones
Yeast-based nutrients for microorganism and cell cultures in biotech and animal nutrition.
Bacteria (among others Pediococcus acidilactici, lactobacilli, bacilli)
Basis for probiotics, bio-crop protection and fermentation processes.
Filamentous fungi
Part of the strain collection for fermentation and screening projects.
Phages (bacteriophages)
Part of the research and strain collection of the Lesaffre institute LIST.
Enzymes
Fermentatively produced enzymes as a product and process component.
Molasses
Sugar raw material used for yeast production since 1923.
Sugarcane, sugar beet, corn, wheat
Raw materials for bioethanol production through yeast fermentation.
Products & Services
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Industrial fermentation (bacteria, filamentous fungi or yeast-based biomass fermentation,Casting | – | – | – | – | Yeast, Bacteria, Filamentous fungi |
| Drying bioprocesses (drying)Surface | – | – | – | – | Yeast, Microorganisms |
| Extraction and purification of microorganisms and molecules (DownStream Processing, DSP)Testing | – | – | – | – | Microbial biomass, Microorganisms, Molecules of interest |
| Spray-drying of food, dietary supplement, pharmaceutical andSurface | – | – | – | – | Food ingredients, Dietary supplement ingredients, Pharmaceutical ingredients, Cosmetic ingredients |
| Liquid formulationsEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Powder blendingAssembly | – | – | – | – | Powders |
| Contract packagingAssembly | – | – | – | – | – |
| Intensive fluidized bed granulation to improve dispersibility,Forming | – | – | – | – | Powders |
| Fluidized bed coating for protection of active ingredientsSurface | – | – | – | – | Active ingredients |
| Co-drying for ultraprecise dosing of one component onto a carrierSurface | – | – | – | – | – |
| Over-drying to adjust the moisture content of an ingredientSurface | – | – | – | – | – |
| Box dryer dryingSurface | – | – | – | – | – |
| Contract fermentation / CDMO services: fermentation, DSP (downstream processing) and dryingCasting | – | – | – | Laboratory scale – Industrial production in | Microorganisms, Enzymes, Probiotics, Postbiotics, Proteins, Peptides |
| Production of yeast and yeast extractsCasting | – | – | – | – | Yeast, Yeast extracts |
| Bioethanol production through yeast fermentation from sugar-containing andCasting | – | – | – | – | Sugarcane, Sugar beet, Corn, Wheat, Rice, Cassava, Waste and agricultural residues |
| Production of yeast-based fermentation nutrients (yeast extracts, dried yeast,Casting | – | – | – | – | Yeast |
| Adaptive Laboratory Evolution (ALE) - continuous, uninterrupted cultivation ofTesting | – | – | – | – | Microorganisms, Yeast |
| High-throughput genome editing and synthetic biology for yeast strain developmentEngineering | – | – | – | – | Yeast |
| Crystallization bioprocessesCasting | – | – | – | – | – |
| Germination optimization technology (Germination Optimization Technology) for bacilli cocktails inCasting | – | – | – | – | Bacilli |
| High-throughput screening of microorganisms (yeasts, bacteria, filamentous fungi, strain consortia)Testing | – | – | – | – | Yeasts, Bacteria, Filamentous fungi |
5 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Box dryer | – | 1 | Capacity approx. 4,000 tonnes per year | – | Strasbourg, France |
| Fluidized bed dryer (FB) | – | – | Granulation, coating, co-drying, over-drying | – | Strasbourg, France |
| Spray drying facilities | – | – | – | – | Cérences (50), France and Legnica, Poland |
| Large-volume industrial fermenters | – | – | – | – | Ennolys by Lesaffre |
| Yeast production line | Biohymn Biotechnology | – | Total area over 60,000 m² | 2015 | Food Industrial Park, Linxi County, Chifeng City, Inner Mongolia, China |
Additional services
Quality
Quality assurance is carried out through specialized competence centers such as Analytical Science & Discovery and the DownStream Process Design Center of Excellence, complemented by clinical and field trials as well as sensory studies to validate product efficacy.
| Evidence | Marcq-en-Barœul |
|---|---|
| Certificates |
History
- 1853
Founded by Louis Lesaffre and Louis Bonduelle in Marquette-lez-Lille (grain alcohol and gin); later acquisition of the first mill in Marcq-en-Barœul
- 1863
Acquisition of a mill in Marcq-en-Barœul and conversion into a distillery
- 1895
Creation of the L'Hirondelle brand (fresh yeast)
- 1923
Focus on yeast and malt; first yeast production using molasses in Marcq-en-Barœul
- 1963
Partnership with Societa Trentina Lieviti (Italy) – start of international expansion
- 1971
Acquisition of Fould-Springer, Maisons-Alfort; entry into yeast extract production
- 1973
Market launch of Saf-Instant, the first instant dry yeast product
- 1974
Opening of the first Baking Center™
- 1999
Acquisition of the Ming Guang yeast plant, China
- 2001
Acquisition of Red Star Yeast & Products (USA); establishment in China
- 2010
New plants in Laibin, Guangxi (China, with Donta)
- 2015
Majority stake in Sungain (Chongzuo); acquisition of Gnosis; acceleration of Nutrition & Health
- 2020
Majority stake in Biohymn Biotechnology (China); Thibaut de Ladoucette becomes Chairman of the Board; partnership with Recombia Biosciences
- 2021
Acquisition of ABM, Advanced Biological Marketing (Van Wert, Ohio)
- 2022
Acquisition of Recombia Biosciences (San Francisco Bay Area)
- 2023
170th anniversary
- 2024
Acquisition of Altar (Adaptive Laboratory Evolution) from Ginkgo Bioworks
- 2026
Ennolys expands its CDMO offering; LIS invests in new drying capacities in Strasbourg