Danisco A/S is a Danish bio-based company with activities in

food production The food industry is a complex, global network of diverse businesses that supplies most of the food consumed by the World population, world's population. The food industry today has become highly diversified, with manufacturing ranging from sm ...

enzyme An enzyme () is a protein that acts as a biological catalyst by accelerating chemical reactions. The molecules upon which enzymes may act are called substrate (chemistry), substrates, and the enzyme converts the substrates into different mol ...

s and other bioproducts as well as a wide variety of pharmaceutical grade

excipient An excipient is a substance formulated alongside the active ingredient of a medication. They may be used to enhance the active ingredient’s therapeutic properties; to facilitate drug absorption; to reduce viscosity; to enhance solubility; to i ...

s. It was formed in 1989 from the largest Danish industrial merger ever of the two old C.F. Tietgen companies Danish Sugar (founded 1872), and Dansk Handels- og Industri Company (Danisco A/S).Nordic Sugar History
Shared history Danisco is one of the world's leading producers of ingredients for food and other consumer products and was also one of the biggest sugar producers in Europe until the divestment of its sugar division to NordzuckerNordzucker completes acquisition of Danisco Sugar and significantly expands market position
, Braunschweig / Copenhagen 03.03.09. in 2009. Headquartered in

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...

, the group has approximately 6,800 employees in more than 80 locations in 40 countries. Danisco shares were listed on the Copenhagen Stock Exchange and a member of the blue chip

OMX Copenhagen 20 The OMX Copenhagen 25 (), formerly KFX and OMXC20) is the top-tier stock market index for Nasdaq Copenhagen, which is part of the Nasdaq Nordic, prior being replaced (as of December 2017) was known as OMX Copenhagen 20 index. It is a market value w ...

index until June 2011, when

DuPont Dupont, DuPont, Du Pont, duPont, or du Pont may refer to: People * Dupont (surname) Dupont, also spelled as DuPont, duPont, Du Pont, or du Pont is a French surname meaning "of the bridge", historically indicating that the holder of the surname re ...

completed a US$6.3 billion acquisition of the company. On February 1, 2021, DuPont's Nutrition & Biociences business unit, which includes Danisco, spun off from DuPont an merged with IFF through a Reverse Morris Trust transaction.

Activities

The company's activities were structured into two lines of business:

Food Ingredients Food is any substance consumed by an organism for nutritional support. Food is usually of plant, animal, or fungal origin and contains essential nutrients such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals. The substance is inges ...

and Industrial enzymes. The Food Ingredients business supplied bio-based ingredients for food and beverage products and comprises the business segments Enablers,

Cultures Culture ( ) is a concept that encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and Social norm, norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, Social norm, customs, capabilities, Attitude (psychology), attitudes ...

, and Sweeteners,Danisco A/S Snapshot
, Corporate Information while the Industrial Enzymes business (handled by subsidiary

Genencor Genencor is a biotechnology company based in Palo Alto, CA and a subsidiary of IFF. Genencor is a producer of Industrial enzymes and low-priced bulk protein. The name Genencor originates with Genencor, Inc., the original joint venture between ...

) focuses on industrial biotechnology and encompasses business segments such as Fabric and Household Care (enzymes for laundry and dishwashing detergents), Technical Enzymes (enzymes for bioethanol and

carbohydrate A carbohydrate () is a biomolecule composed of carbon (C), hydrogen (H), and oxygen (O) atoms. The typical hydrogen-to-oxygen atomic ratio is 2:1, analogous to that of water, and is represented by the empirical formula (where ''m'' and ''n'' ...

processing as well as textile treatment), and Food and Animal Nutrition (enzymes for bread, feed, and brewing applications). Danisco also had two biochemical projects: DuPont Danisco Cellulosic Ethanol LLC, a

biofuel Biofuel is a fuel that is produced over a short time span from Biomass (energy), biomass, rather than by the very slow natural processes involved in the formation of fossil fuels such as oil. Biofuel can be produced from plants or from agricu ...

s joint venture with

, and a project with Goodyear to develop a new type of

synthetic rubber A synthetic rubber is an artificial elastomer. They are polymers synthesized from petroleum byproducts. About of rubber is produced annually in the United States, and of that amount two thirds are synthetic. Synthetic rubber, just like natural ru ...

, called bioIsoprene.BioIsoprene
, Goodyear concept tire with BioIsoprene technology wins ‘Environmental Achievement of the Year’ award. On 9 January 2011, DuPont announced that it had reached agreement to buy Danisco for US$6.3 billion. The acquisition was motivated by a desire by DuPont "to gain production of

food additive Food additives are substances added to food to preserve flavor or enhance taste, appearance, or other sensory qualities. Some additives, such as vinegar ( pickling), salt ( salting), smoke ( smoking) and sugar ( crystallization), have been used f ...

s and enzymes used in

s." On 16 May 2011 DuPont announced that its tender offer for Danisco had been successful and that it would proceed to redeem the remaining shares and delist the company. The food ingredients and enzyme businesses were combined with similar pre-existing efforts at DuPont into two business divisions named 'Nutrition and Health' and 'Industrial Biosciences', and subsequently into one 'Nutrition & Biosciences' division.

Research and development

A considerable number of the employees are engaged in research and development of new products for the international food industry.Danisco A/S Company Profile
Reference For Business Today, the Group holds more than 9,300 active patents and patent applications.Danisco In Brief
Danisco Publication Their work led to the understanding of the mechanism of

CRISPR CRISPR (; acronym of clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) is a family of DNA sequences found in the genomes of prokaryotic organisms such as bacteria and archaea. Each sequence within an individual prokaryotic CRISPR is d ...

, the bacterial antiviral defense.CRISPR Provides Acquired Resistance Against Viruses in Prokaryotes
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References

External links

* {{Authority control DuPont subsidiaries Manufacturing companies based in Copenhagen Danish companies established in 1989 2011 mergers and acquisitions Food processing in Copenhagen