SOUTH AFRICA- MC (Mühlenchemie) is expanding its presence in Africa, opening its third African location, Stern Ingredients South Africa, with labs and a technology center. 

The other two existing locations include one in Lagos and one in Nairobi, and this new addition means that MC can perform the entire value-addition chain in flour improvement and fortification on-site, from sourcing, rheology, and analytics, to application development and production for African mills and bakers.

The new Stern Ingredients South Africa subsidiary is in Randburg near Johannesburg and can develop and produce individual system solutions for improving, standardizing, and fortifying flours and baked goods. 

The new subsidiary has 400 square meters of space, plus flour and grain analysis equipment. 

Equipment includes spiral kneaders, sheeters, deck ovens, and convection ovens. The custom solutions developed here are produced in their own attached plant, so customers can take delivery and put products to use quickly. 

Additionally, to improve collaboration with mills and bakeries, and to facilitate technology transfer, Stern Ingredients South Africa has set up a training and education center at the location.

The subsidiary is led by Jannes Peemoeller, MC’s Area Sales Manager for the South African market for many years. 

Peemoeller will be building a team of experts in technology, consulting, and production in Johannesburg for the next year with help from the other two African centers. 

In addition, for knowledge transfer, communication with the central “Futuremakers” Stern-Technology Center in Germany remains of key importance. 

In the German center, more than 100 scientists and applications technologists work on tailor-made solutions to the needs of the worldwide milling industry. 

Stern Ingredients South Africa will start with applications for flour, baked goods, and vitamin enrichment, with the use of its facilities by other units of the company group planned for the future.

“The growing population and rising prosperity in Africa place high demands on food production. The dynamism and diversity of the continent, and the volatility of global raw materials markets, call for individual and flexible solutions for the production of flour, the staple food,” Peter Steiner, Global Head of Business Unit MC Mühlenchemie, remarked. 

“With three subsidiaries and our network of technical specialists, we can now provide even faster responsiveness and shorter delivery times in the region. As the twelfth worldwide technology and production location of MC, this is another milestone in our policy of developing solutions in close proximity to and consultation with the customer,” Steiner added.

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