DSM-Firmenich has agreed to sell its yeast extract business to Lesaffre, a key global player in fermentation and microorganisms.WHO: Lesaffre was built around the friendship between Louis Lesaffre and Louis Bonduelle in 1853 when the two men launched the company’s first grain alcohol and Dutch gin plant in Marquette-lez-Lille in northern France. Lesaffre is a French yeast manufacturer and the world's largest producer.Innovators in nutrition, health, and beauty, DSM-Firmenich is a Swiss-Dutch company with a diverse, worldwide team of nearly 30,000 employees listed on the Euronext Amsterdam, with operations in almost 60 countries and revenues of more than €12 billion.WHY: As part of DSM-Firmenich's tuning of its portfolio, the company deprioritized certain business segments. The divestment from yeast extracts is an outcome of that strategic review process.DETAILS:As part of the transaction, Lesaffre will enter into an agreement to supply yeast extracts to DSM-Firmenich  for its Savory business. In addition, DSM-Firmenich and Lesaffre will enter a technology partnership for the development of yeast extracts.As part of the deal, some of the DSM-Firmenich employees working on yeast extracts will transfer to Lesaffre.Yeast extracts is part of DSM-Firmenich's Taste, Texture & Health business unit, with annual sales of about €120 million.After the completion of the deal, DSM-Firmenich will continue to supply yeast extracts produced in Delft to Lesaffre until the end of 2025, after which point the yeast extract production in Delft will be discontinued.