Cargill acquires biochemicals technology

Agricultural giant Cargill has acquired the proprietary fermentation-based processes and systems developed by Colorado-based OPX Biotechnologies.

These technologies are used to produce bio-based chemicals from sugars for use in non-food applications such as lubricants, detergents, plastics, agrichemicals and personal care products. 

During 2013, OPX announced a partnership with Dow aiming to bring BioAcrylic – as a direct and more-sustainable replacement for petro-based acrylic acid – into the $10-billion acrylic acid market. Among other uses, acrylic acid is the basis for the suparabsorbent polymers employed in diapers, femcare and AI products. 

Cargill is already a large supplier of carbohydrates and other biotech offerings and its acquisition of OPX further expands its presence in commercial fermentation products outside of food and feed.

“Our customers who make products in any of these categories will benefit from this technology acquisition because it will enable us to produce more and better solutions for them than they can get from any other company,” said Cargill Corn Milling vice president, Brian Silvey. “It will also make bio-based products with extensive functionality more readily available than ingredients produced using petroleum-based or tropical oils.”