Vidya Europe specialises in the development, manufacture and distribution of plant extracts and ingredients for the Nutraceuticals, Food, Animal Nutrition/Petfood and Cosmetics industries. To strengthen its development, this subsidiary of the Indian group Vidya Herbs is bolstering its green technology industrial facilities. This year, it acquired an innovative production facility based on supercritical fluid extraction technology. Thanks to support from the France Relance programme, a brand new 1,400 m2 unit has been built.

This unit, which can process up to 3 x 400 litres at a pressure of 1,000 bars, will be dedicated to the manufacture of innovative, solvent-free and organic plant extracts. This very rare piece of equipment will be accompanied by similar smaller-scale facilities to enable the company to develop and produce smaller quantities with much higher added value.

As part of its development and to enhance its extraction expertise, the company intends to strengthen its position by mastering green technologies.

Towards more natural and sustainable products

Strong trends in health, well-being and healthier, more sustainable food are increasingly reflected in consumer behaviour. Initially confined to the Nutraceuticals sector, where products concentrated in active ingredients reinforce, compensate for and enrich the diet, this need for more natural, nature-friendly products now extends to the agri-food, animal feed, pet food and cosmetics sectors.

The Vidya Herbs group and its subsidiaries, including Vidya Europe, have been part of this fundamental trend since its creation, and are major players in the manufacture and distribution of plant extracts, and one of the pioneers of organic extracts.

The new factory

Located near Chartres, the new plant, supported by the French government, is set in a bucolic setting covering an area of 1,400 m2. It includes 5-, 25- and 3×400-litre supercritical CO2 extraction units, capable of working at pressures of up to 1,000 bars. Equipped with all the associated accessories, this unit can develop and produce solvent-free biological lipid extracts. The 3×400-litre unit enables mass production, while the smaller units enable very high added-value production.