BENEO announces a €50 million investment in the expansion of the Wigmore rice starch plant

- By 2022, the Belgian plant capacity will be expanded by 50% -

 
As one of the leading producers of functional ingredients, BENEO has announced that its plant in Wijgmaal, Belgium, will increase its capacity by 50% to meet the growing demand for its rice starch products
.
The project will be completed in two phases with a total investment of 50 million euros and is expected to be completed
in March 2022.

 
Rice starch plant in Vigmore, Belgium

BEEO estimates that there will be increasing
demand for natural and clean label ingredients for applications such as confectionery and confectionery coatings in major markets, including Europe and the United States.
Rice is widely regarded as a familiar and recognizable ingredient, with 61% of consumers worldwide believing that rice starch is natural, and it has undoubtedly become an ideal ingredient for food development at a time when consumers are paying more and more attention to clean and clear food labels
.
Roland Vanhoegaerden, executive general manager of BENEO's specialty rice ingredients business, said that the ingredient business is essentially a business
that requires a long-term vision and economic resilience.
"Whether it's natural and endogenous growth, or demand from new projects and new applications, the demand for rice starch is growing rapidly, so we are confident
in this investment.
One of the key reasons for this is the growing trend towards 'clean labeling', where food producers are starting to use natural alternatives such as rice starch to replace artificial additives
.
"Since rice starch has an extremely fine particle size, it can be used to fill all the micropores on
the surface of the coating.
This feature is known as the "smoothing effect" and is particularly advantageous for confectionery and confectionery manufacturers during the production process, as it guarantees that the edges of the food will not break
.
In addition, rice starch keeps the product bright white for months
.
As of January 1, 2020, Titanium
dioxide for filling irregular coatings is no longer allowed in France.
There are forecasts that other EU markets will follow suit and ban the use of this additive
.
"We've noticed that many big businesses have turned their attention to rice starch
.
Soon we will have a larger capacity of rice starch to cope with the growing demand
.
Vanhoegaerden introduced
.
Technical trials at the BENEO Technology Center have proven that rice starch with clean labels can also play a role in a variety of other applications, including baked goods and products that require harsh processing conditions, such as soy sauce and condiments, and pet food
.
With a 160-year history in the region, BENEO has invested heavily in the plant in recent years, making it a leader in environmental sustainability
.
After the recent completion of the barge quay expansion project, the plant was able to take in two barges, compared to one previously
.
As a result, two-thirds of the raw rice is currently transported by barge and only one-third by truck
.
"This not only saves costs, but also reduces carbon emissions and traffic use, which is good
for the environment.
" Our factory is located in the heart of the city and can also alleviate congestion and noise problems nearby by increasing the use of barges
.
Vanhoegaerden said
.
Rice starch production includes rice cleaning, soaking, grinding, screening, separation, dehydration and final drying
.
BENEO's expansion project at the Wigmore plant will increase the number of production lines from two to three
.
The first phase of the project is mainly to expand the end of the existing production line and install a third drying and dehydration line to eliminate production bottlenecks and further improve efficiency
.
The second phase of the expansion project will be involved at the front end of the production line, starting from the soaking until the separation
of starch from the protein during the conversion process.
The plant, which currently employs 180 people, will add 20 full-time jobs in the expansion, as well as more jobs
for nearby operations, maintenance and engineering contractors.