Free amino acids, essential for human, animal and plant health, have numerous industrial applications, notably in nutraceuticals, infant and medical nutrition, pharmaceuticals, animal nutrition and agriculture. BCF Life Sciences, a pioneer in the circular economy since 1986, extracts amino acids such as L-Cystine and L-Tyrosine from poultry by-products. The Morbihan-based company thus minimizes its ecological impact, while using local raw materials.
Find out more about our circular economy approach and our latest innovation in this article!
Amino acids and the circular economy
The many applications of amino acids
Amino acids are the essential building blocks of proteins, indispensable for life and a satisfactory nutritional balance. They help maintain good health in humans, animals and plants.
Amino acids are used in the composition of finished products in numerous market segments. For example, they are used in nutraceuticals, infant and medical nutrition, pharmaceuticals and agriculture.
Circular economy and sustainability
The circular economy aims to reduce the use of resources and maximize their reuse. This virtuous economic model encourages the design of sustainable products by recovering co-products and reducing ecological impact.
At BCF Life Sciences, we’ve been pioneering the circular economy since 1986. Discover our unique approach to co-product recovery!
BCF Life Sciences: a pioneer in the circular economy
Our story began in the 1980s, when the Guyomarc’h group decided to add value to the by-products of its poultry industry. BCF Life Sciences, which began life as Bretagne Chimie Fine in 1986, is a company whose mission is to extract amino acids from the keratin naturally present in feathers.
Today, BCF Life Sciences is a specialist in the production of amino acids by extraction, using raw materials from the poultry industry. Our 17-hectare production site, located in Pleucadeuc, in the Morbihan region of France, complies with Food Grade standards and is authorized under the ICPE (Installation Classée pour la Protection de l’Environnement) regime.
| 💡 Did you know?
Poultry meat is the second most consumed meat in France (after pork) [1], and is mainly produced in the Grand Ouest region. Adding value to co-products such as feathers is one of the ways in which the sector creates value. |
BCF Life Sciences’ approach to the circular economy
Adding value to by-products for a sustainable process
At our company, we extract and purify two amino acids from feathers: L-cystine and L-tyrosine.
The sustainability trend is driving all markets. In line with this trend, BCF Life Sciences has been promoting the circular economy from the outset, while emphasizing the local nature of its raw material. In addition to having a production site located within an average 122 km radius of the slaughterhouses supplying the poultry feathers, 68% of the feathers supplied come from Morbihan! Down extraction sites in the South-West and Pays de la Loire also supply us with unused feathers.
Circular economy at BCF Life Sciences, at the heart of the poultry industry
Amino acids for a wide range of applications
BCF Life Sciences offers active ingredients for human, animal and plant health and nutrition. Amino acids are used in nutraceuticals, infant and medical nutrition, pharmaceuticals, animal nutrition and agriculture:
- Incorporating L-cystine into the formulation of dietary supplements supports the health of hair, skin and nails. At BCF Life Sciences, we offer a range of ingredients containing L-cystine, including Kera-Diet®, Cysti-White® and Naticol®-Cyskin®. L-tyrosine, a precursor of dopamine and melanin, stimulates cognitive functions such as stress management, and aids skin pigmentation.
- In infant nutrition, L-cystine and L-tyrosine guarantee a balanced free amino acid profile in hypoallergenic milks.
- In the field of human health, these two amino acids are used to treat phenylketonuria in children, a genetic disease linked to a protein metabolism disorder that can lead to mild mental retardation if left untreated.
- L-cystine is also used as a precursor of carbocisteine, a pharmaceutical active ingredient found in cough medicines.
- In aquaculture, these amino acid mixes with strong attractive properties are 100% digestible, which means that feed is more efficiently consumed by animals. These ingredients, which stimulate the immunity of shrimps and fish, are also proving to be alternative solutions for increasing their survival and growth.
- In the agricultural sector, free amino acid mixtures offer solutions for stimulating soils and plants. They help reduce the use of chemical pesticides and provide resistance to abiotic stresses, improving yields.
The many applications of BCF Life Sciences’ amino acids
Circular economy aligned with the Group’s CSR approach
Our aim is to be a recognized global hyperspecialist in our strategic markets, while preserving resources and minimizing our carbon footprint. To meet this challenge, we are committed to putting eco-design at the heart of all our activities in a circular economy model.
At BCF Life Sciences, we attach great importance to our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) approach. In 2023, BCF Life Sciences received Gold certification from EcoVadis, the world leader in CSR assessment. To find out more about our CSR approach, read our article!
BCF Life Sciences’ CSR approach
And we go further than just recycling by-products… Discover our latest investment in the circular economy!
Future prospects for BCF Life Sciences’ circular approach
Positioning in line with trends
BCF Life Sciences’ positioning seems to be in line with current customer and consumer expectations: in their quest for sustainability, manufacturers are placing great importance on their choice of suppliers.
Thanks to our value-added ingredients, we enable brands wishing to commit to a more sustainable approach to meet this strong market demand. Find out more about BCF Life Sciences’ commitment to sustainability!
Innovation: how to save water with REUSE?
| 💡 REUSE :
REUSE is a term that has only just begun to be used in French. |
At BCF Life Sciences, we have invested in a new building dedicated to effluent treatment. Thanks to state-of-the-art technology based on reverse osmosis, we recycle the water treated by our plant to supply the utilities of our production site.
Our objective? Treat 300 m3 of effluent every day to produce up to 80,000 m3 of REUSE water per year.
Recycling treated water in this way will reduce the amount of groundwater we pump.
Designed, built and co-operated with Ovive, this infrastructure will reduce our water withdrawal from the natural environment by 30%.
The 6.1 M€ investment (4.5 M€ for the plant and 1.6 M€ for REUSE) is 44% financed by the Loire-Bretagne Water Agency.
This project is probably one of the most significant in terms of water efficiency and REUSE carried out in France by an SME.
If you want to increase the durability of your finished products, don’t hesitate to contact us!
SOURCES :
[1] : France Agrimer. La consommation de viandes en France en 2022. Étude réalisée en 2023.
