DECATUR, ILLINOIS, U.S. — Archer Daniels Midland Co. (ADM) announced on June 21 plans to expand lysine and threonine amino acid production capacity at the company’s Decatur, Illinois, U.S., facility. When the expansion project is completed in the second half of 2013, ADM will have the ability to produce 340,000 tonnes of lysine or threonine annually.

ADM has also begun preliminary engineering work to increase lysine production capacity at its Clinton, Iowa, U.S., corn processing complex, with a target total capacity of 70,000 tonnes of lysine HCl equivalent. Both expansion projects include investment in plant infrastructure to enable further capacity increases in the future as needed.


“ADM is committed to growing our lysine and threonine business to meet increasing demand for these feed amino acids,” said Kevin Moore, vice-president and general manager, specialty feed ingredients. “Our feed-grade amino acids are the building blocks of protein for swine, poultry and other animals and play a significant role in their diets.”

ADM produces two forms of supplemental lysine for use in the feed industry, L-Lysine Monohydrochloride 98.5% Feed Grade and L-Lysine Liquid 50% Feed Grade. L-lysine offers a cost-effective way to supplement swine and poultry feedstuffs that are low or deficient in amino acids. L-lysine also meets supplementation needs in aquaculture diets. Dairy cattle diets can also benefit from L-lysine supplementation.

ADM L-Threonine 98.5% Feed Grade is a highly purified, granular form of supplemental L-threonine. Used with L-lysine, L-threonine helps formulate diets closer to an animal’s amino acid requirements, reduce dietary crude protein, decrease nitrogen excretion and improve nitrogen efficiency.