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The fried eggs for breakfast, the chicken for lunch, and the fish for dinner – behind these everyday foods lies a “nutritional key” that unlocks the “tablet code”: methionine.
This tiny organic molecule is the core of the efficient operation of modern livestock farming. It significantly enhances the efficiency of animals’ utilization of protein, helping them grow healthily. Artificial feeding not only saves feed but also makes the dishes on the dining table more delicious.
One of the largest and most technologically advanced liquid methionine production bases in the world is located in Jiangbei New District.
PART.01
Andisu: The “Nutritionist” in Animal Feed
“As the world’s largest consumer of methionine, China used to rely heavily on imports. Now, we have gradually broken the long-term monopoly held by foreign enterprises in key areas such as methionine, significantly enhancing the independent development capabilities of our country’s feed additive industry,” said Zhu Xiaolei, a member of the Party Committee of China Blue Star (Group) Co., Ltd. and the Party Secretary and General Manager of Andisu China.
In 1939, Marcel Lingot founded the predecessor of Aniduo Company in France and successfully synthesized methionine. Half a century later, Aniduo joined China Blue Star Group in 2006, becoming a successful example of a central enterprise’s overseas acquisition, and successfully listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange in 2015, pioneering the precedent of capital securitization of overseas acquisition projects within the domestic market.
Liquid methionine is the main product of Blue Star Aniduo. Its innovative nutritional solutions have covered all livestock animals such as pigs, chickens, ruminants, and aquatic animals.
Adding a certain proportion of methionine to animal feed can balance the essential amino acids in the protein, thereby improving the nutritional value of the feed and enhancing the stress resistance of animals, helping them grow healthily. For example, for poultry, methionine directly affects muscle growth and feather development. Practice has shown that under the same nutritional level, the average weight of broilers using methionine for slaughter is higher than that of the control group, and the egg production rate has also increased.
PART.02
Produced in China, sold in China
In the early days, most domestic farmers were small-scale and scattered, unfamiliar with the concept of “animal nutrition additives” and reluctant to pay high prices for imported products. With the increase in scale and the acceleration of industrialization since the 21st century, the demand for methionine in the market has become increasingly urgent.
However, imported products have problems such as long transportation cycles and high costs. Adisseo decided to build a production base in China to achieve “local production and local sales”. In 2009, Adisseo invested in the construction of the world’s first liquid methionine factory integrating upstream and downstream facilities at the New Materials Science Park, and it was put into operation in 2013.
After establishing a foothold in Nanjing’s north area, we have fully implemented the “China Integration Strategy” thanks to the solid industrial foundation and complete supporting system. By leveraging the vitality of the Chinese market, we have contributed to the global innovation system and enhanced our international competitiveness in the field of animal nutrition. Zhu Xiaolei said that the key to achieving all this lies in the support provided by Jiangbei New District to enterprises, as well as the continuous expansion of investment by enterprises in Jiangbei and the continuous innovation in research and production.
PART.03
Research and development, production, dual-wheel drive
In 2021, Andesud’s China R&D Innovation Center was established in the New Materials Science Park. This is one of the company’s two global comprehensive R&D platforms and has been recognized as the headquarters-level animal nutrition research center of Sinochem. Currently, it has five professional technical teams covering chemical, process, biological, animal and feed nutrition for the two strategic businesses of methionine and specialty products, and has over 100 R&D personnel.
“Through the coordination of the park and the new area, we also collaborated with Professor Zheng Yuguo’s team from Zhejiang University of Technology to jointly establish the Bio-Synthesis Industry Innovation Research Institute, focusing on joint research on cutting-edge technologies for amino acids and their derivatives,” Zhu Xiaolei introduced.
The team of Academician Zheng YuGuo from Zhejiang University of Technology needs to accelerate the transformation of synthetic biology; Anidis can rely on cutting-edge technologies to strengthen its synthetic biology strategy; The new district uses industry-university-research cooperation to promote the upgrading of synthetic biology industries. The three parties reached an agreement immediately and plan to turn the research institute into a high-end platform that integrates research and production.
In addition, Anidu has collaborated with the academic team of Tan Tianwei from Beijing University of Chemical Technology. Focusing on cutting-edge biological technologies such as protein engineering and high-throughput screening, they have successfully developed new enzyme molecules, achieving a new breakthrough in the field of synthetic biology.
By conducting research and promoting production, and by promoting production and conducting research, Andesud drives its development through a dual approach of the R&D innovation center and the Nanjing factory. In 2022, the second phase of the Nanjing factory’s 180,000-ton liquid methionine project was put into operation. Combined with the previous 170,000-ton capacity, the annual production capacity reached 350,000 tons, making it one of the largest, most technologically advanced and most competitive liquid methionine production bases in the world.
PART.04
From “production base” to “China regional headquarters”
However, Andesun was not satisfied with this. In May last year, Blue Star Andesun Nanjing Co., Ltd. was upgraded to become the headquarters of Blue Star Andesun in China. For Andesun, this was not just a simple “title change”, but a leap from “production base” to “global strategic center”.
After the upgrade, the headquarters of Blue Star Andesun in China became the strategic command center of Andesun in the Chinese market, coordinating R&D, production, sales, supply chain, and even investment layout. This means that China has advanced from “the world’s largest market” to “the global innovation engine”.
From the factory to the headquarters, over the past decade in Jiangbei, we have witnessed and participated in the process of China gradually becoming the world’s largest feed producer. Our country is now AndySiu’s largest market globally. Moving the headquarters to China is not only a move by the company to place China at the most important position in its global strategy, but also indicates that in the key feed additive field, we have completed the transformation from ‘relying on imports’ to ‘independent innovation’ and then to ‘exporting globally’.” Zhu Xiaolei said. Currently, AndySiu responds to the national food security strategy and has launched several products tailored for the Chinese market.
In the face of the “third biological technology revolution” triggered by the synthetic biology industry, as one of the few enterprises globally that possesses both liquid and solid methionine production capabilities, Animus is also actively exploring its second growth curve. Through continuous technological innovation and investment in research and development, it is strengthening the layout of special products such as enzyme preparations and probiotics, and promoting the upgrading of the business structure towards a more balanced and resilient direction.
From technological innovation to factory renovation, in today’s era where green farming and precise nutrition have become the mainstream, the development pace of Adisseo has extended from the banks of the Seine River to the banks of the Yangtze River. The methionine it produces is riding the waves of the Yangtze River, traveling far to 140 countries and regions around the world.
Based in the north, serving China, and radiating globally – Adisseo is on this innovative hotbed of Jiangbei New District, with continuous technological breakthroughs and industrial upgrading, writing a new chapter for the future of animal nutrition and synthetic biology industries.
