Archer Daniels Midland Co. has unveiled plans to build a new probiotics production plant in Valencia, Spain. The new facility is expected to help ADM meet a growing demand for microbiome solutions, the company said.

“Our new Valencia facility will feature leading-edge technology and dramatically enhance our ability to meet fast-growing demand for products and solutions from nature designed to target the microbiome and help improve metabolic health,” says Ian Pinner, chief strategy and innovation officer, and president of ADM’s Health & Wellness division. “Consumers today are increasingly focusing on the foundational role food plays in supporting health and wellness, and our continued investment in these growth areas ensures that ADM is perfectly positioned to meet their needs.”

ADM says the new facility will represent a five-fold increase in production capacity through ADM’s Biopolis, a provider of microbial technologies based in Spain. Acquired by ADM in 2017, Biopolis’ offerings include cell and molecular biology, microbiology, nutrition and metabolomics, bioprocess, and genomic.

Probiotics and postbiotics will be produced at the plant, which also will include an ADM flavor production facility. The plant is expected to be online in 2022.

“Consumers today are thinking about the things they eat and drink in entirely new ways,” Pinner says. “They expect food and beverages that are not only delicious, but support health and wellness, come from sustainable ingredients, and are produced by companies that share their values. The growth investments ADM has made in recent years put us in an unparalleled position to meet those changing needs. From alternative proteins, to our pantry of sustainable ingredients, flavors and colors, to our unequalled array of pre-, pro- and postbiotics, ADM is enriching lives around the globe.”