SAINT-APOLLINAIRE, FRANCE — Construction work for Eurogerm’s new sourdough bio-fermentation plant is underway in the Dijon-Bourgogne Ecoparc in Saint-Apollinaire, on the outskirts of Dijon. The facility represents an investment of €21 million, including €1.8 million in funding from the France Relance recovery fund. The plant will be operational in the first quarter of 2024.

“With this bio-fermentation plant, we are taking the leap to become an ingredients producer,” said Jean-François Honoré, president of Eurogerm, a provider of food ingredients. “This is a strategic evolution for our own growth, and to support our customers in their innovation processes.”

The bio-fermentation plant will be dedicated to the production of 100% French sourdough. Construction work for the building, with its surface area of 39,300 square feet on a 140,000-square-foot plot of land, began in January. The plant will open next year, in time for the group’s 35th birthday, with initial production forecasts of 400 tonnes of sourdough per year, gradually rising to a capacity of 1,000 tonnes every year. In time, sourdough production at the facility will be accompanied by other fermented ingredients.

The plant represents a strategic asset for the company’s growth. It will enable Eurogerm to fulfill demand from its customers and meet their expectations in terms of quality and provenance, in particular those linked to CRC certification (Sustainably Controlled Agriculture). The new facility will bolster the company’s selection of signature ingredients for stakeholders in the milling, bakery-patisserie and food industries.