Shopping continues for DSM

Purchases and new production facilities have so far marked the healthy growth of Dutch life science company DSM in 2002. This week the company announced further acquisitions with the purchase of the food coatings activities of Vaessen Schoemaker, Portugal by the dairy ingredients business unit of its Food Specialties division.

With effect from 2 September 2002 Vaessen Schoemaker's Vascoplast coatings brand will be retained by DSM, broadening the company's scope and increasing its presence on the Iberian peninsula. The company said that the move fits in with it's strategy to expand activity in food coatings across applications, including meat and cheese. The office will be based in Barcelona and all sales and technical service activities related to dairy ingredients for Iberia will be managed from there.

The acquisition of Vascoplast will expand on DSM's tailored coating systems and will include products for the surface treatment of cheese such as Superdex and Delvocoat.

This acquisition is the latest in a series of moves by the Dutch company that have witnessed the purchase of Roche's vitamin and fine chemicals division earlier this month, the expansion of production facilities in Delft, the Netherlands and new offices for its Savoury Ingredients and Nutritional Ingredients business units in Asia.

Rumours in August this year that the company was in talks with Australian food group Burns Philp over the purchase of its Gist Brocades unit were denied by DSM.

In July DSM posted a net profit of €959 million, although DSM​ Fine Chemicals posted slightly lower sales and a lower operating profit, DSM Food Specialties and DSM Bakery Ingredients posted improved operating profits.