The European baking ingredients landscape is set for a significant shift as Lallemand Inc. and Moulins Soufflet, a subsidiary of Groupe InVivo, have announced exclusive negotiations for the acquisition of two specialized ingredient companies: AIT Ingredients and Solyve.

The Companies Involved

AIT Ingredients operates as a global producer of baking ingredients, offering both technical solutions including improvers, correctors and enzymes, as well as creative solutions such as sourdoughs, cereal ingredients and mixes. The company serves the bakery, flour milling and pasta industries with a presence spanning France, Argentina, Brazil, Spain, Asia-Pacific and Africa.

Solyve specializes in GMO-free and organic enzyme solutions for multiple sectors including oenology, fruit juices, baking, plant-based beverages and animal nutrition. The French-based company also produces sourdough starters specifically for the baking industry.

Strategic Rationale

For Lallemand, the acquisition represents a significant expansion of its global footprint and production capacity. Antoine Chagnon, CEO of Lallemand explained

"With the presence of AIT Ingredients in France, Argentina, Brazil, Spain, APAC and Africa, and Solyve in France, these proposed acquisitions will reinforce our presence and increase our global footprint and production capacity and better enable us to meet the requirements of our existing and new customers across the baking, flour milling, oenology and other beverages sectors,"

The Canadian-headquartered Lallemand, which operates in more than 50 countries with over 50 production plants and approximately 5,500 employees, focuses on yeast, bacteria, fungi and enzyme-based solutions across multiple industries including baking, food ingredients, nutrition, biofuels, crop protection and brewing.

From InVivo Group's perspective, the transaction aligns with its strategic refocusing efforts.

"With its unique expertise in research and microorganisms, Lallemand will bring the vision and expertise necessary to successfully take over and grow both companies AIT Ingredients and Solyve. Lallemand is committed to this and has the investment capacity to make it happen,"

Thierry Blandinières, CEO of InVivo Group commented.

"For InVivo, the completion of this project will enable us to accelerate the implementation of our strategic plan, which is based on refocusing on field crops, in particular wheat and barley, in order to establish solid, structured and sustainable vertical supply chains."

Industry Context

Moulins Soufflet has been a leading French miller since 1978, leveraging agronomic, milling and baking expertise to serve artisan bakers, distributors and food manufacturers in France and internationally. The company operates under several brands including Baguépi Farine Responsable, Mélior, Mozaïk and Lévia.

The parent company, InVivo Group, ranks among Europe's leading agricultural groups with a turnover of €11.7 billion and more than 14,500 employees across 36 countries. The group operates 92 industrial sites, including 65 in France, covering the entire food value chain from farm to fork.

Transaction Timeline

The proposed acquisitions are expected to close during summer 2025, subject to several conditions including customary statutory consultations with the works councils of Moulins Soufflet, AIT Ingredients and Solyve, along with required regulatory approvals and other standard closing conditions.

This transaction reflects broader consolidation trends in the baking ingredients sector, as companies seek to expand their geographic reach and technical capabilities to serve increasingly sophisticated customer demands across multiple food industry segments.