Chr. Hansen
A Danish bioscience company that supplied cultures, enzymes, colors, probiotics and other biological solutions to food, health and agricultural markets before merging into Novonesis in 2024.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Chr. Hansen was a Danish bioscience company headquartered in Hørsholm and named after chemist Christian D. A. Hansen. Founded in 1874 as a joint venture between Hansen and pharmacist H. P. Madsen, the business initially commercialized technologies connected with cheese production, especially animal rennet and annatto-based colorants for butter and cheese. Its early expertise in fermentation, enzymes and natural coloring established the basic model that later defined the company: supplying biological ingredients and process technologies to other businesses rather than selling primarily to consumers under a retail brand. The company expanded internationally at an early stage. Operations in the United States began in 1878, and the business subsequently broadened its portfolio to include starter cultures for cheese, yogurt and sour cream. In 1890, Hansen purchased Lock Island in New York's Mohawk River for manufacturing and renamed it Hansen Island. During the First World War, the company began production in England in 1916 to work around wartime export restrictions. Facilities in Italy and Germany were added in 1936, and production later reached Australia and South America. From the 1970s through the 1990s, acquisitions contributed to geographic and technological expansion. Chr. Hansen's modern portfolio covered cultures, probiotics, enzymes, natural colors and human milk oligosaccharides. Its ingredients were used in fresh dairy products, cheese, meat and seafood, fermented beverages, plant-based dairy and meat alternatives, dietary supplements, infant formula, pharmaceuticals and agricultural applications. The company also maintained one of the world's largest commercial collections of bacteria, giving it a substantial research and development base for identifying and deploying microorganisms with useful properties. Development and research operations were located in Denmark, the United States, France and Germany, while manufacturing included sites in Denmark, Germany, France and the United States and commercial activities in approximately 30 countries. The business released its first probiotic in 1987. In 1991, the Lundbeck Foundation acquired majority control and began restructuring Chr. Hansen into a holding-company format. The Chr. Hansen Group was separated as an independent company in May 2005, a change intended to support longer-term development rather than the priorities of a controlled operating structure. During the following years, the company positioned itself as a specialized B2B partner for food, health and agriculture companies, emphasizing natural solutions, fermentation science, product stability and sustainability. Chr. Hansen was recognized for sustainability and for its role in replacing or reducing synthetic inputs in food and agriculture. In 2019, Corporate Knights ranked it the world's most sustainable company. In 2021, it ranked first in FoodTalks' list of global probiotic food-ingredient companies and announced climate targets for 2030. The company nevertheless remained subject to the operational, regulatory and reputational pressures facing multinational ingredient suppliers. In December 2022, Chr. Hansen and Novozymes announced a proposed combination. The European Commission treated the transaction as conditional on commitments offered by the parties. The intended name of the combined company, Novonesis, was announced in December 2023. The merger was completed in January 2024, ending Chr. Hansen A/S as an independent listed company and combining its bioscience activities with those of Novozymes.
History
Chr. Hansen began in Denmark in 1874, when chemist Christian D. A. Hansen established a joint venture with pharmacist H. P. Madsen. Hansen's scientific work centered on enzymes and their industrial applications. The first commercial activities focused on cheese-making inputs: animal rennet, which helps coagulate milk, and annatto-derived coloring agents used for butter and cheese. These products placed the company close to the emerging industrialization of food production and gave it an early specialization in biological and natural ingredients. Internationalization followed quickly. The company started operating in the United States in 1878. Its product range expanded into starter cultures for cheese, yogurt and sour cream, creating a platform in controlled fermentation that remained important throughout its later history. In 1890, Hansen acquired Lock Island in the Mohawk River near Little Falls, New York, and converted it into a manufacturing location known as Hansen Island. During the First World War, the company established production in England in 1916 to avoid the effects of the German blockade on exports to Britain and other markets. It added facilities in Italy and Germany in 1936, began production in Australia by 1951, and later developed a presence in South America and other regions. Following Christian Hansen's death, his son Johannes assumed control in 1916. The company subsequently evolved from a specialist cheese-ingredient producer into a broader international supplier of cultures, enzymes and natural colors. Acquisitions between the 1970s and 1990s supported expansion into new markets and technologies. Its first probiotic product was introduced in 1987, marking a significant move into a category that later became central to its health and nutrition activities. A major ownership and structural transition occurred in 1991, when the Lundbeck Foundation obtained majority control. The foundation initiated a restructuring into a holding-company format. In May 2005, Chr. Hansen Group was spun off as an independent company. This separation was intended to give the business greater freedom to pursue long-term growth and investment rather than operate primarily according to short-term quarterly objectives. In its mature form, Chr. Hansen operated as a research-intensive B2B bioscience business. It supplied bacterial cultures, probiotics, enzymes, natural colors and human milk oligosaccharides for dairy, cheese, meat, seafood, fermented beverages, food alternatives, supplements, infant formula, pharmaceuticals and agriculture. A large commercial bacteria collection supported strain discovery and product development. The company maintained research and development centers in Denmark, the United States, France and Germany, and its production network included two Danish sites plus facilities in Nienburg and Pohlheim in Germany, Arpajon in France and West Allis, Wisconsin, in the United States. It also maintained an international presence in about 30 countries. Sustainability became an important part of its corporate positioning. Chr. Hansen had explored healthier alternatives for meat applications since the 1970s and was later recognized by Corporate Knights as the world's most sustainable company in 2019. In 2021 it announced climate targets for 2030 and was ranked first by FoodTalks in a list of global probiotic food-ingredient companies. The final phase of the company's independent history involved a combination with Novozymes. The parties initiated the merger in December 2022, and European regulatory review required commitments before clearance. In December 2023, they announced that the new company would be named Novonesis. Completion in January 2024 combined the two businesses and brought the independent Chr. Hansen A/S era to an end.
- 2024
Merger completed
[1]Chr. Hansen merged with Novozymes, forming Novonesis and ending its existence as an independent company.
- 2023
Novonesis name announced
[1]The parties announced Novonesis as the name for the company to be created by the merger.
- 2022
Merger process with Novozymes begins
[1]Chr. Hansen and Novozymes initiated their proposed business combination.
- 2021
Climate targets and probiotic-industry recognition
[1]Chr. Hansen announced 2030 climate targets and was ranked first in FoodTalks' global probiotic food-ingredient company list.
- 2019
Named the world's most sustainable company
[1]Corporate Knights ranked Chr. Hansen first in its global sustainability ranking.
- 2005
Chr. Hansen Group becomes independent
[1]The group was spun off as a separate independent company in May, supporting a more autonomous long-term strategy.
- 1991
Lundbeck Foundation gains majority control
[1]The Lundbeck Foundation became the majority owner and initiated a restructuring into a holding-company structure.
- 1987
First probiotic launched
[1]The company released its first probiotic product, establishing a new health-oriented growth area.
- 1951
Australian production begins
[1]Chr. Hansen began production in Australia as part of its continuing international expansion.
- 1936
Facilities added in Italy and Germany
[1]The company expanded its European manufacturing footprint with facilities in Italy and Germany.
Products and positioning
A premium B2B bioscience and fermentation partner supplying evidence-based cultures, probiotics, enzymes, natural colors and related biological ingredients to food, health and agricultural companies.
Fermentation cultures
Dairy and cheese cultures
Starter and protective cultures used by dairy manufacturers to control fermentation, support flavor and texture development, and help manage product consistency in cheese, yogurt, sour cream and other fresh dairy applications. This category grew from the company's original cheese-making activities and remained one of its core B2B businesses.
Probiotics
Probio-Tec
A Chr. Hansen probiotic platform associated with strains and formulations for dietary supplements, functional foods and other health-oriented applications. It represented the company's move from traditional food cultures into researched microbial solutions for human health and nutrition.
Probiotic and nutritional cultures
Nu-trish
A portfolio name used for probiotic and nutritional culture solutions. The offering reflected Chr. Hansen's focus on supplying microbial ingredients to supplement and food manufacturers rather than marketing finished consumer products directly.
Food colors
Natural colors
Coloring ingredients, including the company's historic annatto-based products, supplied to food producers for applications such as butter, cheese and other processed foods. Natural color technology was one of the company's earliest commercial capabilities.
Food and industrial enzymes
Enzymes
Biological processing aids developed for food and related applications. Enzymes formed part of the scientific heritage associated with Christian D. A. Hansen and complemented the company's culture and fermentation technologies.
Infant nutrition ingredients
Human milk oligosaccharides
Specialized carbohydrate ingredients supplied for applications including infant formula and nutrition. They extended Chr. Hansen's activities beyond conventional food cultures into advanced health, nutrition and pharmaceutical-related ingredient markets.
Controversies
2023
Controversy over LGBT+ employee support
Chr. Hansen was reported to have withdrawn support for LGBT+ staff after pressure from right-wing religious groups in the United States. The decision prompted widespread employee protest and reputational criticism, particularly because merger partner Novozymes continued to present itself as a full LGBT+ ally.
Brand decisions
2022
Agree to combine with NovozymesM&ABackground
Both companies operated in complementary bioscience markets and sought to create a larger global platform.
Action taken
Chr. Hansen initiated a merger with Novozymes, subject to regulatory clearance and commitments.
Aftermath
The transaction produced Novonesis in January 2024 and ended Chr. Hansen's independent corporate existence.
2021
Adopt 2030 climate targetsStrategyBackground
Sustainability had become a central element of the company's corporate positioning and stakeholder expectations.
Action taken
Chr. Hansen announced climate targets for 2030 and initiatives intended to reduce its carbon footprint.
Aftermath
The targets reinforced the company's sustainability-led positioning.
2005
Spin off the Chr. Hansen GroupStrategyBackground
The business sought greater freedom to pursue long-term growth rather than focus primarily on quarterly objectives.
Action taken
Chr. Hansen Group was separated as an independent company in May 2005.
Aftermath
The company continued as an independent international bioscience supplier until its merger with Novozymes.
1991
Restructure under Lundbeck Foundation controlStrategyBackground
The Lundbeck Foundation obtained majority control of the company.
Action taken
The company was reorganized into a holding-company format.
Aftermath
The restructuring preceded the later independent Chr. Hansen Group structure.
1987
Enter the probiotic marketProduct launchBackground
The company had established expertise in food cultures and fermentation and sought to apply microbial science to health and nutrition.
Action taken
Chr. Hansen launched its first probiotic product.
Aftermath
Probiotics became an important part of the company's later portfolio and market positioning.
Recent events
Reported
UPL and Chr. Hansen announce strategic collaboration on microbial biosolutions[2]
UPL announced a long-term strategic collaboration with Chr. Hansen to develop microbial-based biosolutions, including biostimulants and biopesticides. UPL will research opportunities and commercialize the products through its distribution network, while Chr. Hansen will design biological products using its microbial capabilities.
- Unconfirmed
Reported
Chr. Hansen launches The Probiotics Institute[3]
Chr. Hansen launched The Probiotics Institute, an online platform providing science-based information about probiotics and the human microbiome for healthcare professionals and B2B customers globally.
Reported
Chr. Hansen agrees to acquire Jennewein Biotechnologie[4]
Chr. Hansen Holding A/S entered into an agreement to acquire all shares of Jennewein Biotechnologie GmbH, a company described as a leading player in the HMO market.
Reported
Chr. Hansen agrees to acquire UAS Laboratories[5]
Chr. Hansen Holding A/S entered into an agreement with the owners of UAS Laboratories to acquire 100% of the Wisconsin-based company, which specializes in clinically documented probiotics.
Reported
EIB signs €120 million financing agreement with Chr. Hansen[6]
The European Investment Bank signed a €120 million lending agreement with Chr. Hansen. Chr. Hansen will use the financing to boost research and development in food cultures and enzymes, and health and nutrition.
Sources7 sources
- 1Chr. Hansenen.wikipedia.org
- 2UPL与Chr. Hansen宣布合作开发微生物生物解决方案prnewswire.com
- 3Chr. Hansen 推出 The Probiotics Institutedairyreporter.com
- 4Chr. Hansen同意收购Jennewein Biotechnologiedairyreporter.com
- 5Chr. Hansen同意收购UAS Laboratoriesdairyreporter.com
- 6欧洲投资银行与科汉森签署1.2亿欧元融资协议eib.org
- 7Chr. Hansen Enters High-growth Human Milk Oligosaccharides Marketfdbusiness.com
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