CHEMILLÉ, FRANCE — Nor-Feed, an animal nutrition additive manufacturer based in France, recently opened a new 26,910-square-foot (2,500 square meters) plant in Chemillé. The company will manufacture botanical extract ingredients for livestock feed, pet food and aquaculture producers in domestic and international markets.

The expansion quadruples Nor-Feed’s annual production, bringing total capacity to 50 million tons annually. The new Chemillé facility is fully automated and features a patented extraction technology that results in botanical extracts with more bioavailable active compounds, without needing to rely on solvent-dependent technologies, the company reported.

The facility uses both electricity and renewable energy, and Nor-Feed will source co-products from the agricultural industry to make its extracts more sustainable.

According to Nor-Feed, international sales represent 75% of the company’s revenue, and the French market for botanicals is growing at a double-digit rate.

“In our niche market, what gives value to a product are all the layers of information, identity, security, applications, which like layers of onions, year after year enrich our products and keep them relevant,” said Pierre Chicoteau, joint chief executive officer of Nor-Feed.

The company aims for its products to be a sustainable replacement for synthetic extracts across the animal feed industry. According to Nicolas Tessier, industrial director for Nor-Feed, the company will manufacture its entire portfolio — including pet food solutions — at the new Chemillé facility.

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