11 Feb 2008
AB Enzymes and AB Vista, both subsidiaries of Associated British Foods (ABF) plc, have today announced the acquisition of Syngenta's Quantum Phytase feed enzyme business and technology. AB Enzymes will take over responsibility for the Quantum supply chain and further product development, whilst AB Vista will manage Quantum sales & marketing.
Quantum Phytase is a unique enzyme with superior thermo-tolerance and efficacy, which will compliment the existing range of feed enzymes that AB Vista currently markets. Quantum sales are growing strongly in Latin America and market penetration is expected to increase further when product registrations in other major markets are completed.
Aryan Moelker, CEO AB Enzymes, said "the addition of this unique new enzyme is exciting in that it broadens our technology base and enhances our market reach. We are now well placed to meet the increasing global demand for heat stable phytases. The joint goal of our partnership with AB Vista is to build market leading positions in key feed enzyme segments. This acquisition significantly increases our opportunity to reach this goal."
CEO AB Vista, Richard Cooper said "Quantum feed phytase is widely regarded as the best researched, best performing phytase in the market. We are very excited by the opportunity to grow Quantum sales both via the infrastructure inherited from Syngenta and also through our own well developed channels. We see clear synergy with our launch and global rollout of Econase XT, a very thermo-tolerant Xylanase enzyme which has shown excellent efficacy in corn and wheat based diets. Quantum is also highly complementary to our existing Finase range of feed phytases which have a wide portfolio of registrations and sales in over 30 countries."
Neal Briggi, Head of Enzymes for Syngenta explained "Microbial Quantum Phytase has proven itself to be a best-in-class product, but we believe that the greatest future potential in this market for Syngenta lies in the truly unique approach of expressing useful enzymes directly in the grain and plants used as the raw material for many industries. This agreement will broaden market access for Quantum and make the technology available to a larger percentage of the animal nutrition market, while enabling Syngenta to better pursue our longer term goals for enzymes in Animal Nutrition and elsewhere."
