Press Release

Heerlen, NL, 09 Apr 2014 08:15 CEST

Royal DSM, the global Life Sciences and Materials Sciences company, announces today it is in exclusive discussions with Aland Nutraceutical Holding, Ltd. (“Aland”) that may or may not result in the acquisition of Aland, a China-based global producer of vitamin C. Further information will be announced in due course, if and when appropriate.

If successful, this relatively small acquisition would allow DSM to further strengthen its position in vitamin C. For DSM the acquisition, which would fully meet its financial and strategic requirements, would add to its position in vitamin C, the world’s largest vitamin measured by volume. Aland would also improve DSM’s global footprint in vitamins for Human Nutrition & Health, Animal Nutrition & Health and Personal Care, as it adds to DSM’s existing vitamin C capacity in Dalry (Scotland, United Kingdom) to which the company remains fully committed.

Aland was founded in 1990 and has a production facility in the Jiangsu Province in China. In 2013 the company realized net sales of about USD 90 million in vitamin C.

Vitamin C is an essential health ingredient that the body cannot produce itself and that needs to be absorbed through diet or supplementation. Vitamin C is widely found in fruits and vegetables. The recommended dietary allowances for vitamin C in the United States were recently revised upwards to 90 mg/day for men and 75 mg/day for women.