Nordzucker_GB 03-04_E_.pd 1 - Nordzucker AG

1 October 2003, the company, which
Nordzucker is operating as a joint venture
together with the Danish food
producer Arla Foods Ingredients amba,
was granted approval by the European
Monopolies and Mergers Commission.
SweetGredients is operating a pilot plant
in Nordstemmen to optimise industrial
Tagatose production and provide a basis
for acceptance and potential analyses.
The results will decide on the construction
of a joint production plant in Denmark.
In 2003, first sales were carried out
in the USA. As expected, the financial
year closed with a negative result of
Euro 7.8 million, of which Nordzucker
will bear a contractually fixed 50 percent.
Tagatose – Sweetener with
Attractive Properties
Tagatose is a prebiotic, tooth friendly
sweetener produced from lactose, making
it safe for diabetics. In addition to being a
low-calorie product, it also has special
flavour enhancing properties. Its low
glycemic index makes Tagatose an interesting
product for the “low carb campaign”
currently widely advertised in the
United States. Tagatose has already been
listed as a marketable product in the US
and in Korea, Australia and New Zealand.
This is not expected to be the case for
Europe before 2006.
Syral
In June 2003, Nordzucker increased its
participating interest in the French producer
of starch saccharification products,
Syral S.A., Marckolsheim, from 36 to 50
percent. At the same time, the whollyowned
Syral subsidiary Staral S.A. – up to
that point a supplier of primary products
– merged with Syral. This has successfully
finalised the integration of Staral S.A. into
Syral. Due to this development, the figures
shown do not compare with those
of the previous year.
Positive Results
Despite a slight drop in prices, Syral was
able to improve its share in the European
market further for starch saccharification
products in the year under review. After
expansion of the Syral facilities in 2002,
production has been stabilised and the
utilisation ratio has been much improved.
A distinct increase in market share is
reported for maltodextrin and sorbite.
Altogether, sales rose by more than ten
percent as compared with the previous
year. The percentage of up-market products
in relation to total sales has risen
disproportionately, and this has had a
clearly positive effect on the operating
results. In the year under review, Syral
posted a positive result of Euro 1.6 million.
Amino
Nordzucker GmbH & Co. KG continues
to hold 50 percent stakes in both Amino
and Norddeutsche Zucker-Raffinerie
GmbH in Frellstedt.
Results on the Previous Year’s Level
Amino uses large-scale chromatography
to produce sugar raw juice, amino acids,
betaines, and other ingredients from
sugar beet molasses. Amino acids from
molasses and other substances are
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