French specialist EUROGERM celebrated the official opening of its new bio-fermentation plant on October 10. It is located in the Dijon-Bourgogne ecopark in Saint-Apollinaire, France. Anne Coste de Champeron, deputy prefect of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Philippe Lemanceau, vice-president of Dijon Métropole, Jean-François Dodet, mayor of Saint-Apollinaire and Jean-François Honoré, CEO of the EUROGERM group, attended the event, together with more than 300 guests.
Representing an investment of EUR 21 million, the plant covers an area of 4,000 m² on a 13,000 m² site. Initial production is estimated at 400 tons a year, with the aim of gradually reaching a capacity of 1,000 tons a year. The first step, in 2024, will be the production of 100% French CRC® sourdough, made from French cereals grown using sustainable methods to promote biodiversity. By 2025, other fermented ingredients will be added to production.
The selected technologies will contribute to greater energy efficiency by reducing the resources consumed by various processes, EUROGERM explains: “To reduce wastewater from cleaning, all washing effluents are treated using an innovative technology known as hydroponics (plants and microorganisms). This organic and eco-friendly solution will enable us to discharge rainwater-quality water and be ready for possible reuse in the future. Finally, 100% of our waste is sorted, recycled, and reprocessed locally.”
The opening event also included a round-table discussion on ‘How to do business in a sector with a high environmental impact’, with the participation of Antoine Hacard, President of the Coopération Agricole Métiers du grain; Emilie Bobin, Partner PwC France, Head Sustainability team; Didier Boudy, CEO of Mademoiselle Desserts & President of the Fédération des Entreprises de Boulangerie (FEB); and Jean-François Honoré, CEO of the EUROGERM Group.
A conference titled ‘S’engager pour une alimentation durable: illustration dans la gastronomie’ (Towards sustainable food: examples from gastronomy) was also held, with testimonials from Laura Chaussé, ÉCOTABLE, the first sustainable catering label in France, Antoine Barré-Foncelle, Co-founder of La Menuiserie – table 3 macarons Écotable in Dijon, and Simone Zanoni, Michelin-starred chef at the GEORGE V in Paris.
With a EUR 250 million turnover, EUROGERM specializes in the design, production and sale of technological, sensory and nutritional ingredients and solutions for the milling, bakery-patisserie and catering industries. The group operates all over the world and employs more than 750 staff, in a network of 15 subsidiaries in Europe, Africa, the Americas and Asia.
Photo: From left to right: Philippe LEMENCEAU, Vice-President of Dijon Métropole (metropolis of France), Anne COSTE DE CHAMPERON, sub-prefect of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté (region of France), Jean-François HONORÉ, CEO EUROGERM Group and Jean-François DODET, mayor of Saint-Apollinaire (municipality of France).
Credit: EUROGERM
