Kyowa Hakko Announces L-Tyrosine Innovation

TOKYO—Kyowa Hakko Kogyo Co. Ltd. announced it has developed a fermentation-based method for commercial production of L-tyrosine, and will start full-scale production in 2007. Previously, main production methods for L-tyrosine used animal protein, which posed possible health risks, or plant sources, which made commercial-scale production economically difficult.

Kyowa Hakko developed a production method based on fermentation after discovering microorganisms with superior characteristics for the production of the amino acid.The company already supplies a range of non-animal-sourced nutritional and pharmaceutical ingredients.Yukinobu Kotani, president of Kyowa Hakko’s Bio-Chemicals Business United, said, “This lineup is a clear indication of our competitive edge in fermentation technologies. We will continue working to supply fermented materials from non-animal sources to markets around the world, including materials that are now in test production.”

Kyowa Hakko USA is exhibiting at SupplySide West; for more information, visit www.kyowa-usa.com or Booth #6013.