In its brand new bio-fermentation factory, Eurogerm (750 employees, 205 million euros in turnover), a global player in the formulation of ingredients and solutions serving flour milling, industrial bakery and pastry and the food industry, becomes a producer of its own sourdoughs with 100% French ingredients. To build these 4,000 m², on a land area of 13,000 m², the company from Saint-Apollinaire (Côte-d’Or) committed 21 million euros on a site located one kilometer from its historic factory. “We did not have the technical and industrial property of our ingredients to develop our recipes and innovate», explains Sébastien Givry, director of R&D at Eurogerm.
Among the 800 references used by the group to improve the quality of flours or the lifespan of products, the manufacturer notably used sourdoughs, around 1000 tonnes per year, mainly from Germany, but also from France or from the rest of Europe. “We will be able to produce our own sourdoughs, in addition to our suppliers, to increase our market share in the world of sourdough and meet the expectations of the CRC label, controlled sustainable cultivation.» specifies the manager. Industrial bakery players are paying attention to this labeling with specific ranges. “Fermented products have good press among consumers», smiles Sébastien Givry.
The factory, started in January 2023, began its activity in June 2024 before being officially inaugurated on October 10, 2024. If it currently produces around 400 tonnes of sourdough, its capacities should allow it to reach 1000 tonnes in the short term.
Innovative fermented cereals
With these new products, Eurogerm also intends to be more innovative by selecting the microorganisms that will produce what the company wants rather than resorting to solutions available on the market. She thus wishes to differentiate herself. To achieve this, the factory will rely on two lines dedicated to the production of sourdough, going from fermentation to drying, but also on a line dedicated to solid fermentation technology, commonly used in Asia. “Sourdough, produced from liquid fermentation, provides taste and aromas. From 2025, solid fermentation will be used to produce innovative fermented cereals with functional properties such as textures or shelf life, for example in finished products. This will lead to different applications within the bakery», explains the R&D director.
The new factory also aims to be exemplary in the water register, since the treatment of effluent in washing water is done by hydroponics. “Our challenge is to reuse this water for cleaning. We would also like to integrate greener technology to produce steam, essential to our process.», Hopes the executive.
Three million euros are finally added to the initial investment as part of the creation of a research center whose mission is to develop new innovations through fermentation. “We want to go into the market for replacing butter, dairy products or synthetic flavors. We will also work to remove certain preservatives through fermentation.», Projects Sébastien Givry. Among the 80 recruitments made by Eurogerm in 2024, around fifteen relate to the new factory and as many have joined the research center.
