Multi-million investment completed for Alland & Robert’s acacia gum production facilities
The Alland family have celebrated expanding acacia gum production expansion of its French site. Pic: Alland & Robert
Major manufacturing investments from French-based ingredients firm Alland & Robert totalling €11 million, have seen a fourth production line open at its Normandy facilities that are anticipated to significantly enhance its operations, writes Neill Barston.
The company, which has facilities at Saint-Aubin sur Gaillon, has projected a 50% increase in its capacities to product the company’s core lines, which have focused on acacia gum, which is widely used within confectionery as a sweetener.
As the business explained to Confectionery Production, its core production site, which was initially opened in 2007, has been notably expanded, bringing 30 new jobs, includes a new drying tower and adjacent workshop have been added to the two existing towers. This has reportedly doubled the production facility from 8,000m² to 16,000m².
According to the business, the latest manufacturing line will have the capacity to process almost 30,000 metric tons of acacia gum per year, up from 20,000, which will enable the company to keep pace with the sharp rise in global demand.
At the local level there will be a real impact in terms of employment, with over 30 jobs being created by the new production line. Major investments to meet rising demand for acacia gum. The creation of this new production line confirms the desire of Charles Alland, who succeeded his father as head of the company last March, to pursue Alland & Robert’s growth and business diversification, alongside investments aiming to achieve the company’s carbon emissions reduction goals.
In effect, acacia gum holds significant potential for development in various industries where there is an underlying preference for natural and plant-based products. The scale of this investment reflects its ongoing success, with the company pursuing its development in various international markets and now exporting natural gums to over 70 countries. Indeed, the growing market for acacia gum – an ingredient that is natural, vegan and healthy – aligns perfectly with modern consumer expectations.
As the company added, the key investments are aligned with the goals of Alland & Robert’s CSR plan, as well as its sustainable development goals. In accordance with the 2015 Paris Agreement, the family-run company has committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 20% per kilo of gum manufactured (scopes 1, 2 and 3) by 2025.
Improving energy efficiency in the acacia gum manufacturing process constitutes a major lever in this regard. With this new production line, the company is taking another step towards achieving its objectives and further reducing its direct and indirect emissions (including scopes 1, 2 and 3 of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol).
In addition, the business highlighted its new Beyond Acacia range is the fruit of over two years of research and development at Alland & Robert, with the aim of meeting market expectations. The Beyond Acacia range brings high-density granulometry to the table, enabling the creation of an innovative and sustainable range of gums
. All the functional properties of acacia gum are preserved: once dissolved, the quality is identical to that of the regular and instant ranges. These characteristics offer a host of benefits for industrial operators using acacia gum in their products, in various sectors: cosmetics, confectionary, soft drinks, pharmaceuticals, etc. This new range also showcases Alland & Robert’s commitments to the environment and its sector’s ethical standards, notably via its achievement of the Fair for life certification.