11 June 2009 - SYRAL is continuing to invest in the development of its range of ingredients for the European food industry to support its clients with their own projects. SYRAL is also increasing its investments in non-food industries, such as the pharmaceutical and paper-cardboard sectors, to broaden its product offering.
A new applied research centre, where products and applications will be designed both for and in conjunction with clients, together with a new spray drying tower that has been built to the most stringent standards in microbiology, were opened in Marckolsheim, SYRAL's headquarters in France, on 4 June 2009 in the presence of its European clients.
As part of its €160 million investment programme, a new complex protein manufacturing facility has been added to the Nesle site in France, together with a food glucose factory. The Saragossa starch factory in Spain will have its product portfolio increased, in replacement of isoglucose production. A bioethanol production unit was opened at the Aalst site in Belgium in 2008, while capacity at the Saluzzo grain distillery in Italy has increased threefold.
SYRAL is supported by its shareholders from the farming industry, which include Tereos and a number of French cereal cooperatives. This long-term relationship ensures that SYRAL has access to a reliable source of raw materials, both in terms of quality and quantity - which in turn is a guarantee for its clients.
SYRAL also benefits from the professionalism of its staff, who are passionate about their work: exploiting the full potential of cereals.
SYRAL is a subsidiary of Tereos, and is Europe's third largest producer of starch and derivated products. It transforms 3,000,000 tons of cereals into 1,800,000 tons of starch-based products and 180,000 m³ of alcohol per year. For the year 2007/08, SYRAL's turnover was €1,364 million, with an EBITDA of €125 million and a net profit of €52 million.