Evonik Sets Facility For Novel Methionine

Evonik Industries will spend tens of millions of dollars to build a plant in Antwerp, Belgium, that makes a new form of the feed additive methionine for use in farming shrimp and other crustaceans. Set to open in late 2015, the facility will produce a dipeptide made up of two dl-methionine molecules. Because the dipeptide is less water soluble than the single amino acid, less of it dissolves and is lost while shrimp chew on their feed, Evonik says. Only 1.0 kg of the dipeptide is needed to achieve the shrimp growth provided by 1.8 kg of standard methionine, the firm claims.