Enhancing the genius of nature Galactic

ENHANCING THE GENIUS OF NATURE

Leading lactic acid biotechnology company, Galactic, is bringing its ‘green chemicals for various applications’ to a more diversified market. Emma-Jane Batey spoke to the sales manager for EMEA non-food markets, Alexander Wagner to find out more.

Historically a lactic acid and lactates producer, Galactic is globally active and ecologically responsible. A chemical company with a clear focus on renewable raw materials, Galactic offers a full service in ‘green chemicals’ for its customers worldwide.

Since 1994 Galactic has become one of the world’s leaders in biotechnology, serving the food, animal feed, personal and healthcare and industrial markets. Based on its valuable experience in the fermentation of lactic acid and other derivatives, Galactic continuously develops sustainable, innovative and health-conscious solutions in the field of food safety, nutrition and green chemistry. With headquarters and an innovation campus in Belgium, production facilities in the United States (Milwaukee), China (Bengbu) and Europe (Escanaffles), and sales offices in Belgium (Brussels), Japan (Tokyo) and Brazil (Curitiba), Galactic employs more than 350 people worldwide and is active in almost 65 countries. Continual development

The sales manager for EMEA non-food markets, Alexander Wagner, told Industry Europe how the company’s solid ownership structure helps to maintain its focus. He said, “Our mission as experts in Lactochemistry® is to continually develop new molecules and applications for natural solutions to ensure that we remain at the forefront of the lactic acid expertise that we have gained, and with the support and dedication of our skilled team and our owners, we will

continue to achieve this. Galactic provides a constantly growing portfolio of top quality, environmentally friendly products that are mutually beneficial to all our stakeholders, from customers to partners and employees to shareholders.”

Galactic’s core product is lactic acid. Lactochemistry® is at the heart of its ongoing success; its ability to create many new products and continually develop new derivatives ensures that it maintains its market leading position. The company focuses on offering solutions to respond to mega-trends such as an increasing population (how to make agrochemistry greener), urbanisation (the closer we live together the more important environmental issues become), an aging society (how to help with our Lactochemistry® expertise companies improve their solutions in personal and health care or producing nappies) or an increasing consumer awareness (what do we consume and what is the impact of this consumption on nature and health). With its range of clean, green and safe bio-solvents which are proven to perform above expectations, Galactic has the answer to replacing traditional toxic and petrol-based solvents used in coatings, cleaning and agrochemistry. Its product range also includes additives for SAP (super absorbant polymers, used in nappies), cosmetic ingredients, healthcare ingredients and sophisticated solutions for applications such as food safety, clean labelling, health improvements and cost saving.

Mr Wagner continued, “All our lactic acid products are manufactured at our state-ofthe-art facilities worldwide. We have around 100,000 metric tons split between three production sites, all of which are operated under the strictest corporate standards appropriate to the chemical industry and the industries for which we produce our natural solutions.”

Inspired by nature

While Galactic does not have any current plans to extend its production facilities, it does aim to expand its product portfolio as it reaches into new markets. Already mostly

serving the food, feed, care (home, personal and healthcare), coatings, metal treatments, chemical industries and bioremediation, Galactic has identified new opportunities. Mr Wagner added, “We are already globally present and we have a well-established client base and product portfolio. But as an ambitious company that has a clear focus on research and development, our identification of new diversified markets that will appreciate and benefit from lactic acid and its derivates is very exciting. At that point let me mention the important investment into the Galactic Innovation Campus in Brussels recently inaugurated, allowing us to strengthen the interaction between the market and R&D.”

He continued, “When you deal with nature, it’s hard not to be inspired by it. At Galactic, we are already imagining the world of tomorrow. A world in which choices are based on what’s best for nature and mankind. As a chemical company that is passionate about the environment – its beauty and its sustainability – Galactic sees countless possibilities to replace expensive petrol-based solutions with sophisticated lactic-acid-based alternatives. At the very least they are equal in performance and they are certainly superior in respect to the environment. Our products are completely natural and we are proud to be part of a future that is more responsible and perfectly practical.”

A big push for lactic acid is to be expected following the introduction of poly lactic acids

(PLA). PLA is a plastic based on lactic acid and thus on renewable raw materials. Futerro, a joint venture between Galactic and Total Petrochemicals, operating on a pilot scale of 1500 tonne/year is developing its high quality PLA to move further into plastic parts such as those used in automotive or electronic devices. They far exceed the current quality of PLA on the market, which is mostly only sufficient for plastic bags or plastic cups for cold drinks.

Lactic acid, also known as 2-hydroxypropionic acid, is present in almost all forms of organised life and has probably been present since life began. Even though lactic acid is so abundant, it is notoriously difficult to identify. As the name suggests, lactic acid is in milk, specifically curdled milk, and it was first discovered by Swedish chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele in 1780 when he crystallised calcium. Various scientific discoveries and developments followed, but it was not until 1881 that lactic acid was used beyond pharmaceutical applications. While there have been numerous companies producing lactic acid over the years, the majority have had to cease production due to the low quality of their output; Galactic prides itself on its exceptionally high-quality production and so it continues to be one of the market leaders.

All around the world

Galactic’s strongest presence is in Europe, particularly Benelux, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the UK and Poland, with North America, Latin America and Asia (China, Japan and South East Asia) all important territories. Mr Wagner said, “We are not moving into new geographical markets as we are already globally present and active. We are able to serve customers practically anywhere in the world and our excellent production facilities ensure that we develop and supply the best quality lactic acid products, optimised for our customers’ needs.

With such a strong footing across the world’s lactic acid sector and a well-established name for quality, Galactic is positioned for continued success. The company is keen to further its development of green applications for lactic acid and to foster even closer links with its end users. Mr Wagner concluded, “Galactic will keep offering even more customised and sophisticated solutions based on renewable resources as we diversify into new markets while maintaining our presence in existing markets.” n