Jungbunzlauer broke ground on the expansion in late September. The investment will allow the company to expand production of xanthan gum at its Port Colborne facility to meet rising demand in North America. Xanthan gum is fermented sugar that is used to thicken and stabilize products including food and beverages, health care, animal feed, personal care, detergents and other industrial materials. 

Supporting Agribusiness 

In addition to the new jobs that will be created, the project is expected to increase the demand for Ontario-grown corn. In support of the investment, the Ontario government is committing $4.8 million in funding through the Invest Ontario Fund. 

“With this $200 million investment, Jungbunzlauer is joining agribusiness champions like Maple Leaf Foods, Andriani, Italpasta, First Choice Beverage Inc, and many more who have set down roots or expanded operations in our province,” said Rob Flack, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness. “Ontario’s agribusiness sector now employs more than 871,000 men and women, while generating almost $51 billion in annual GDP because of world-class investments like these.” 

Jungbunzlauer Suisse AG is based in Basel, Switzerland, and operates manufacturing plants in Austria, France, Germany and Port Colborne. With the new facility, Jungbunzlauer plans to increase large-scale fermentation capacity and optimize production processes. The investment will also increase Ontario’s natural bio gum production, allowing for export to a growing North American market.