Beyond The Headlines: Glanbia splits Nutritionals business, Evonik to discontinue Hanau keto acids production

This week in industry news, Glanbia announced it is separating its Nutritionals business into two new segments, while Evonik evaluated partnerships and divestment options, including discontinuing its production of keto acids in Hanau, Germany. New research delved into the critical vitamin D deficiency in young women in Japan and the malnutritious diets of US beer drinkers.

Business news

Glanbia announced it is separating its Nutritionals business into two new segments: Health & Nutrition and Dairy Nutrition. Additionally, the company announced a €50 million (US$52.9 million) share buyback program to enhance shareholder value. The company reported strong performance in the third quarter of 2024, with revenue growth of 6%. Key highlights include robust growth from brands like Optimum Nutrition and Isopure, as well as increasing demand for premix and protein solutions. 

Evonik is transforming its Health Care business to focus on its strategic core growth areas. As a next step in this transformation, the German specialty chemicals supplier will evaluate strategic options, such as partnerships or divestment, for developing its keto and pharma amino acid production sites in Ham and Wuming. It is also planning to discontinue its production of keto acids in Hanau by the end of 2025, affecting around 260 colleagues. Evonik’s keto and pharma amino acid business generates an annual average revenue of around €100 million (US$105.7 million). The keto and pharma amino acid business at Evonik’s sites in Ham (France) and Wuming (China) has “outstanding potential.” Evonik is therefore not considering closure of these sites and has committed to continue supplying its customers.

Scientific research

Vitamin D, an essential nutrient, is naturally produced through sun exposure and certain foods. However, excessive sunburn prevention measures are causing a severe problem of vitamin D deficiency, particularly among young women in Japan, according to new research by Osaka Metropolitan University. Since vitamin D deficiency is also related to pregnancy-induced hypertension and low birth weight in children, it is important to quickly identify those at high risk and provide appropriate health guidance. However, the method currently established for measuring serum vitamin D levels is expensive and invasive; therefore, there is a need for the development of simpler risk assessment tools.

New reseach suggests excessive sunburn prevention measures are causing a severe problem of vitamin D deficiency, particularly among young women in Japan.Beer drinkers have lower-quality diets, are less active and are more likely to smoke cigarettes than people who drink wine, liquor or a combination, according to a study to be published on November 17 by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. Beer-only drinkers, who were more likely to be male, younger, smokers and low income, also reported the highest total daily caloric intake, adjusting for body weight, and the lowest level of physical activity. Previous studies have found that dietary quality declines with increasing alcohol consumption of any type, but little has been reported on the influence of specific alcoholic beverage types. The differences in diet quality among drinkers could be attributed to the context in which food and alcohol are consumed together. In the US, beer is often chosen in settings where the available foods tend to be low in fiber and high in carbohydrates and processed meats. On the other hand, wine — particularly red wine — is often paired with meals complete with meat, vegetables and dairy.

Regulatory updates

In a joint effort to combat food insecurity among college students, the US Department of Agriculture and the US Department of Education have announced a new agreement to expand student access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The collaboration aims to raise awareness of SNAP benefits among low-income college students and reduce the barriers that often prevent them from receiving this essential support. The initiative responds to findings from a recent Government Accountability Office report, which showed that 67% of 3.3 million students eligible for SNAP are not receiving the benefits.

The EU General Court overturned the European Commission’s ban on certain aloe vera ingredients following a more than three-year legal battle. The ban was first enforced in 2021, with legal firms pushing for the overturn in May of that year. The ban included botanical species — such as rheum, cassia and aloe species — containing hydroxyanthracene derivatives, which has impacted the nutrition and nutricosmetics industries. The Commission’s decision to ban these ingredients was based on a European Food Safety Authority opinion that lacked sufficient data to establish a safe daily intake. The court found that this lack of data did not justify a complete ban, as the harmful effect on health had not been definitively identified. This ruling has significant implications for future ingredient restrictions, emphasizing the need for a rigorous scientific assessment and a proportionate regulatory response.