Our name, our origin
More than 150 years ago, Ignatz Lederer founded a spirit distillery in Jungbunzlau, in what is now the Czech Republic—laying the groundwork for a business rooted in fermentation. Under the long-standing ownership of the Kahane family, Jungbunzlauer has grown into a global leader in industrial biotechnology, operating some of the world’s largest fermentation facilities. With a continued focus on renewable raw materials and biodegradable ingredients, our story is one of transformation—shaped by science, driven by purpose.
For us, it stands for continuity. The people of Jungbunzlau were the Jungbunzlauer.
That rootedness in a place, a process, and a way of working still describes how we operate today.
Where every ingredient counts
Jungbunzlauer has been making specialty ingredients since 1867, and fermentation has been at the heart of our expertise from the start. That heritage still shapes much of what we produce today, and it is one reason formulators and managers rely on us.
Our portfolio spans acidulants, sweeteners, texturants, and minerals. Many of our core ingredients are produced by fermentation. Others are built on these fermentation-derived ingredients or made through complementary processes, all held to the same standards of quality and traceability.
In our fermentation process, microorganisms convert carbohydrate substrates (primarily corn) into finished ingredients under controlled conditions. These ingredients are biodegradable and produced without synthetic petrochemical inputs. Where regulations permit, this supports a naturally derived origin claim for ingredient labelling.
More than 150 years of fermentation expertise — and growing
Today Jungbunzlauer employs approximately 1,400 people across Europe and North America, with more than CHF 1 billion in annual revenue. Our growth has been largely organic, built on deepening our fermentation capabilities and expanding our product portfolio.
We operate manufacturing plants in Pernhofen (Austria), Ladenburg (Germany), Marckolsheim (France), and Port Colborne (Ontario, Canada), giving customers reliable supply from multiple sites across Europe and North America. In late 2025, we acquired the Thomson, Illinois facility, strengthening our North American manufacturing footprint and our ability to supply customers across the Americas without the supply chain vulnerabilities that come with offshore-only sourcing.
Our leadership
Jungbunzlauer’s leadership combines strategic insight with hands-on experience to strengthen our global operations serving more than 130 countries. Focused on sustainable growth and guided by our core values, they help shape a company where people, performance, and purpose align to make us naturally better.
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