Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC) inaugurated a new automated production line for the processing of specialty feed lecithin, located at the site of its existing oilseeds crushing plant in Tianjin, China, and operating on 100% renewable electricity. Developed with the support of LDC’s R&D center in Shanghai, the new line will help meet growing demand, in China and globally, for specialty feed lecithin products such as enzymatically treated lecithin and low-viscosity lecithin.
“Leveraging LDC’s processing and innovation capabilities, our new production line will enable us to offer customized solutions tailored to feed industry requirements, in line with our strategic growth plans to expand into downstream markets with more value-added products, and as part of our ongoing drive to enhance the offer to, and experience of, our customers,” said James Zhou, LDC’s global head of Food & Feed Solutions and chief commercial officer for the group.
The line expands LDC’s lecithin offering to include:
- enzymatically treated lecithin that enhances oil and fat-soluble nutrient absorption in animal feeds, contributing to higher feed efficiency and reduced animal husbandry costs;
- low-viscosity lecithin that enables direct blending into feed, without requiring extreme heating or separate storage tanks.
“Our new automated production line for specialty feed lecithin products reflects our commitment to lever LDC’s innovation and R&D capabilities, as well as our processing infrastructure, to accelerate the commercialization of advanced solutions that respond to the evolving needs and expectations of China’s farming industry,” said Shengshu Huang, LDC’s chief technology officer and head of Specialty Feed Ingredients for North Asia.
The global lecithin market is valued at approximately USD 1.08 billion in 2025, and projected to reach USD 1.46 billion by 2030, with an annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.15%, China remains one of the world’s largest meat producers and consumers, driving accelerated demand for high-quality lecithin, widely used by the animal feed sector for its emulsifying, stabilizing and nutritional fortification properties.
