Chr Hansen refocuses after restructure

Chr Hansen's other Italian activities – dairy, human health, natural colours, wine and meat cultures – will move to another site in Parma after selling most of its functional blends business.

The sale to Frutarom Industries was announced in May. Chr Hansen said it fitted its strategy to focus on its top business areas. The acquisition followed a bidding war lasting three months involving "several acquisition candidates", said Kristine Ahrensbach, director, corporate communications at Chr Hansen.

"We hold leading positions in the European meat industry within meat cultures and natural colours and with this divestiture we can secure even more focus on these business areas," she said.

One example of the company's work in meat cultures was Bactoferm Rubis, which was "in the early phase of being launched in Europe", said Ahrensbach. The product was "a unique new development to improve colour, appearance and shelf-life of sliced, ready to eat meat products."

She said the culture could remove traces of oxidative damage to meat products, because it consumed oxygen as part of its metabolism.