CJ Cheil Jedang expands amino acid production facilities in Brazil

[Courtesy of CJ Cheil Jedang]

SEOUL -- CJ Cheil Jedang will expand its amino acid production facility in Brazil. Amino acids are used for a variety of applications mainly as additives to animal feed. The food industry is also a major consumer of amino acids -- glutamic acid used as a flavor enhancer and aspartame as a low-calorie artificial sweetener.

CJ Cheil Jedang's plant in Piracicaba in Southeastern Brazil produces lysine, an essential amino acid for animals' rapid growth. The plant also produces tryptophan which is vital for the production of the body's proteins, enzymes and muscle tissue. Brazil accounts for about 60 percent of the amino acid market in South America.

CJ Cheil Jedang said additional amino acids will be produced by investing about $210 million. "We produce amino acids using microbes that grow by eating sugarcane," CJ Cheil Jedang spokesperson Kim Hyun-dong told Aju Business Daily on August 2. Brazil is the world's top producer of sugarcane.

CJ Cheil Jedang established the Brazilian plant in 2007 targeting the South American amino acid market. The company has expanded its biotechnology business as the main driver of its next growth engine, as sales from its bio business reached 1.82 trillion won ($827 million) in the first quarter of 2022, up 39 percent from a year ago.

Kim Joo-heon jhkim123@ajunews.com

CJ Cheil Jedang expands amino acid production facilities in Brazil

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