Tate & Lyle expands Van Triest CirQlar partnership to scale citrus co-product valorization in Germany

Tate & Lyle has extended its partnership with Van Triest CirQlar to manage the sales and distribution of citrus pulp co-products from its pectin production facility in Großenbrode, Germany, as part of efforts to strengthen circular food systems.

Tate & Lyle expanded its agreement with Van Triest CirQlar to manage citrus pulp co-product distribution from its Großenbrode facility in Germany.
The co-products are derived from citrus peels used in pectin production and are primarily utilized in animal feed markets.
The partnership supported Tate & Lyle’s target to beneficially use 100% of its waste by 2030 while improving commercial performance.

The agreement extended an existing relationship between the two companies and aimed to enhance both the commercial value and environmental impact of Tate & Lyle’s co-products business. Van Triest CirQlar, part of ForFarmers, specializes in managing and trading co-product streams across feed markets.

Under the new terms, Van Triest CirQlar took responsibility for key aspects of citrus pulp co-product sales and distribution from the Großenbrode site. The facility produces pectin, a plant-based ingredient derived from citrus peels, which are a byproduct of the juice industry. The remaining material is processed into citrus pulp, which has long been supplied to livestock farmers as feed.

Tate & Lyle reported that the Großenbrode facility has been supplying these co-products to farmers in northern Germany for more than 40 years, ensuring that residual materials are repurposed rather than discarded.

The extended partnership followed the company’s acquisition of the site in 2024, which enabled closer alignment with its existing operations. Tate & Lyle noted that synergies had been identified between Großenbrode and its Koog aan de Zaan facility in the Netherlands, where a similar distribution agreement with Van Triest CirQlar was already in place for corn-based co-products.

By aligning co-product management across both sites, the company aimed to streamline operations and improve consistency in how residual streams are handled and monetized.

The agreement was also structured to provide long-term market access and more predictable pricing for the citrus pulp output, helping to reduce commercial risk and improve planning certainty.

Sönke Schweiger, Plant Director at Tate & Lyle’s Großenbrode facility, said the partnership supported both operational and environmental objectives.

“At our Großenbrode facility, we turn upcycled citrus peels into high value ingredients and give their co-products a second life – that’s circularity in action. With this expanded partnership, we can maximise the commercial and environmental value of our pectin production.”

Roel van Haeren, Managing Director Van Triest CirQlar Europe, said the agreement marked a further step in developing structured co-product value chains.

“This partnership aligns with our objective to lead in managed co-product value chains and is an important step in further strengthening our relationship with Tate & Lyle. It is a strategic expansion of our activities in Germany and our citrus pulp position in this market.”

Tate & Lyle stated that the model allowed it to focus on its core food and beverage ingredient business while relying on specialized partners to manage co-product streams. The company also indicated that the approach would help ensure consistent offtake of citrus pulp while optimizing value realization.

The expansion formed part of Tate & Lyle’s broader sustainability strategy, which includes a commitment to beneficially use 100% of its waste by 2030.

The move reflected growing interest across the food and ingredient sector in improving the utilization of byproducts and side streams, particularly as companies seek to reduce waste and extract additional value from existing production processes.