Dairy Foods logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Dairy Foods logo
  • NEWS
    • DAIRY REGULATIONS
  • PRODUCTS
    • New Products
    • Butter
    • Cheese
    • Cultured Dairy
    • Frozen Desserts
    • Ice Cream/Novelties
    • Milk
    • Non-Dairy Beverages
    • Sales Data
    • Whey, Milk Powder
    • Dairy Alternatives
  • INGREDIENTS
    • Cocoa
    • Colors/Flavors
    • Cultures/Enzymes
    • Fiber
    • Gums, Stabilizers, and Texturants
    • Inclusions
    • Omegas/Lipids
    • Prebiotics
    • Probiotics
    • Sweeteners
    • Other
  • OPERATIONS
    • SUSTAINABILITY
    • Equipment
    • Processing
    • Packaging
    • Food Safety & Sanitation
    • Membrane Technology
  • MEDIA
    • Dairy Foods TV
    • Podcasts
    • Webinars
  • DIRECTORIES
    • Buyers Guide
    • Dairy Plants USA
  • MEMBRANE FORUM
  • MORE
    • Associations
    • Dairy Foods' News & Views Newsletter
    • Blogs
    • Case Studies
    • Classifieds
    • Custom Content & Marketing Services
    • Dairy Foods Store
    • Market Research
    • Supplier Spotlights
    • Tradeshows and Events
    • Strategy Guides
  • AWARDS
    • Dairy Plant of the Year Award
    • Breakthrough Award
    • Dairy Processor of the Year
  • EMAGAZINE
    • eMagazines
    • Archive Issues
    • Contact
    • Advertise
    • SIGN UP!
    • Columnists
    • Dairy 100
    • State of the Industry Report
    Supplier News

    M&A

    DSM eyes Cargill’s cultures and enzymes business

    Cargill has a culture texture toolbox, fast acidification for cheese yield improvements and culture flavor systems.

    September 20, 2012

    Press release

    Royal DSM, the global Life Sciences and Materials Sciences company, announced today that it is in exclusive discussions with Cargill which may, or may not result in the acquisition of Cargill’s cultures and enzymes business by DSM. 

    The cultures and enzymes business of Cargill is a global leading manufacturer of cultures and enzymes for the dairy and meat industries with manufacturing operations in Wisconsin (USA) and France. It has a strong pipeline of new products built on three pillars of technology: culture texture toolbox, fast acidification for cheese yield improvements and culture flavor systems. The business generates net sales of about €45 million per year with approximately 200 employees.

    The global market for cultures and enzymes is valued at over €1 billion, growing steadily at more than 5% per annum. A possible combination of the Cargill cultures and enzymes business with the dairy business of DSM Food Specialties would be highly complementary creating a strong global player and enabling DSM to propel sales growth as well as capture sizable synergies in global manufacturing footprint, customer reach as well as innovation capabilities in biotechnology and SG&A.

    A successful acquisition of the Cultures and Enzymes business of Cargill would be the eighth acquisition in the Nutrition cluster since DSM announced its corporate strategy DSM in motion: driving focused growth in September 2010. These acquisitions form an integral part of DSM’s strategy for its Nutrition cluster and will contribute to the current and future growth of DSM’s attractive portfolio in health, nutrition and materials.

    Hans-Christian Ambjerg, President DSM Food Specialties, commented: “This acquisition would be another great step in achieving our ambitious growth strategy. Combining both businesses would allow us to serve our customers faster with one of the most versatile offerings in Cultures and Enzymes in the global dairy industry. We have great respect for the knowledge and expertise of the people at Cargill.”

    Both companies are now engaging in the information and consultation process with employee representative bodies in the relevant countries. Further information will be announced in due course.

    DSM – Bright Science. Brighter Living.™
    Royal DSM is a global science-based company active in health, nutrition and materials. By connecting its unique competences in Life Sciences and Materials Sciences DSM is driving economic prosperity, environmental progress and social advances to create sustainable value for all stakeholders. DSM delivers innovative solutions that nourish, protect and improve performance in global markets such as food and dietary supplements, personal care, feed, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, automotive, paints, electrical and electronics, life protection, alternative energy and bio-based materials. DSM’s 22,000 employees deliver annual net sales of around €9 billion. The company is listed on NYSE Euronext. More information can be found at www.dsm.com.

    KEYWORDS: cultures for the dairy industry enzymes for the dairy industry mergers and acquisitions in the dairy industry

    Share This Story

    Looking for a reprint of this article?
    From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

    Recommended Content

    JOIN TODAY
    to unlock your recommendations.

    Already have an account? Sign In

    • Lifeway Organic Kefir in different flavors inside a refrigerated grocery shelf.

      Dairy Foods names Lifeway Foods 2025 Processor of the Year

      Lifeway Foods donates $10,000 to wildfire victims,...
      Dairy Foods & Beverages
      By: Brian Berk
    • Two female farmers are standing in a field, holding a large milk canister, looking at several cows at dairy farm.

      Honoring Women Leaders Shaping the Dairy Industry

      For the fourth consecutive year, Dairy Foods is proud to...
      Dairy Foods & Beverages
      By: Barbara Harfmann
    • Main feature for State of the Industry with dairy products album cover with a gradient circular--patterned backgorund.

      2025 State of the Dairy Industry

      Welcome to the 2025 State of the Industry report. For...
      Sales Data
    Manage My Account
    • eMagazine Subscription
    • Dairy Foods News & Views Newsletter
    • Online Registration
    • Manage My Preferences
    • Subscription Customer Service
    • Connect with Dairy Foods

    More Videos

    Popular Stories

    Close up of man adding Greek yogurt while preparing healthy smoothie in the kitchen.

    An expert guide to dairy and GLP-1 receptor agonists

    Splash of milk in form of arm muscle. 3D illustration.

    Protein: The Powerhouse of Health and Wellness

    Grilling foods

    Dairy’s Enduring Moment: Why Resilience and Renewal Define Today’s Dairy Story

    Nominate your product for the 2026 Dairy Foods Product of the Year!


    MTF webinar


    Food Safety webinar

    Events

    July 8, 2026

    Membrane Purification Enables Clean Beauty Actives

    The global cosmetics market is undergoing a major shift towards the use of natural bioactive ingredients as consumers grow more skeptical of traditional formulations and demand greater transparency and sustainability.

    July 8, 2026

    Advancements in RO for Dairy Processing

    Reverse osmosis (RO) membranes are well established in dairy processing but continue to evolve to improve performance, reduce energy use, and increase operational longevity. 

    View All Submit An Event

    Products

    Probiotic Ice Cream: Science and Technology

    Probiotic Ice Cream: Science and Technology

    See More Products
    health and wellness


    plant of the year

    Related Articles

    • DSM to acquire Cargill’s cultures and enzymes business

      See More
    • The problem solvers: Cultures, Enzymes, Acidulants

      See More
    • Degussa Food Ingredients Cultures & Enzymes

      See More

    Related Products

    See More Products
    • public role.jpg

      The Public Role In The Dairy Economy: Why And How Governments Intervene In The Milk Business

    • foods analysis.jpg

      Handbook of Dairy Foods Analysis, 2nd Edition

    • advances.jpg

      Advances in Dairy Products

    See More Products

    Events

    View AllSubmit An Event
    • April 22, 2026

      Four Ways Enzymes Can Improve Your CIP

      On-Demand This session examines how enzymes can work within conventional dairy CIP systems to deliver an effective clean while supporting safety and effluent objectives.
    View AllSubmit An Event
    ×

    Stay ahead of the curve. Unlock a dose of cutting-edge insights.

    Receive our premium content directly to your inbox.

    SIGN-UP TODAY
    • RESOURCES
      • Advertise
      • Contact Us
      • Directories
      • Store
      • Want More
    • SIGN UP TODAY
      • Create Account
      • eMagazine
      • Newsletter
      • Customer Service
      • Manage Preferences
    • SERVICES
      • Marketing Services
      • Reprints
      • Market Research
      • List Rental
      • Survey/Respondent Access
    • STAY CONNECTED
      • LinkedIn
      • Facebook
      • YouTube
      • X (Twitter)
    • PRIVACY
      • PRIVACY POLICY
      • TERMS & CONDITIONS
      • DO NOT SELL MY INFORMATION
      • PRIVACY REQUEST
      • ACCESSIBILITY

    Copyright ©2026. All Rights Reserved BNP Media, Inc. and BNP Media II, LLC.

    Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing