Cargill is investing $200 million to transform its production site in Krefeld, Germany, from a corn to a wheat processing place.

The move allows the company to address the market changes in nutrition and packaging and to better serve customer needs.

The need for vegetable proteins and specialised starches is being driven by the growing global population and the rising need for industrial starches in the packaging industry.

At present, the Krefeld plant produces a range of corn starches and sweeteners for the food and industrial markets.

By transforming the site from corn to wheat, Cargill said it can add wheat proteins and specialised starches to its portfolio.

The new unit, that will be built on the current factory site, will use the best available production technologies to meet the highest standards of reliability and sustainability.

Alain Dufait, Managing Director of Cargill Starches, Sweeteners & Texturisers Europe, said: “This transformation will not only allow us to expand our portfolio serving the evolving needs of our customers, but also use more sustainable production methods.”

Construction will begin in early 2020 with completion expected by the summer of 2021. The first deliveries of wheat products will start in the autumn of 2021.