Who we are
Because when you grow, we all flourish.
Together, we’re shaping the future of food — powered by fermentation, guided by science, and inspired by you. From ingredient innovation to biotech platforms, from tradition to transformation, our mission is clear: to inspire joy, nourish communities, and protect our planet through better and healthier food for all.
This is the new Biospringer — food lovers in action.
Our approach
From concept to plate, we co-create with you:
- Signature tastes that define cuisines and resonate globally
- Rich textures and experiences that consumers remember and love
- Healthier formulations with less salt, sugar, and additives — without compromising pleasure
- Next-generation health & nutrition that drives a more sustainable and resilient food system
With 1,500 passionate Biospringer experts and 11,000 colleagues across Lesaffre, we combine local understanding with global strength.
We are fast, collaborative, and driven by your success.
Biospringer’s story: 150 years of innovation
The Biospringer
story began
Baron Maximilien de Springer built his first yeast factory in Reindorf (Austria), inventing the “Viennese process” of manufacturing yeast via the grain fermentation wort.
Two decades later, the Springer factory expanded to France
Baron Springer and his sons purchased the Château de Réghat in Maisons-Alfort, transforming it into a grain distillery and pressed baker’s yeast factory, and began selling their ‘Viennese’ yeast to French bakers. As time went by, this innovative product began to be known as levure française.
In the years following
the introduction, levure
française’s popularity exploded
Bakers could now shape and bake bread that tasted better, was less acidic, and which had a finer crust and softer crumb. In 1880, yeast was used outside the bakery for the first time, with the invention of yeast-enriched bouillon cubes.
Shortages during the interwar period resulted in the developement of several innovative food products
In 1926, Springer broke the mold with the production of dried food yeast, followed a decade later by the launch of its vitamin-enriched stock concentrate.
A turning point in
Biospringer’s history!
1959 saw Biospringer focus its resources on developing soluble yeast extract for the food industry. Developers were looking for ways to improve the taste and protein content of their products, due to a shortage of high-quality meat extract.
Springer’s innovative methods resulted in yeast extract being designated a natural flavoring the following year, with the food industry listing it as a raw material used in the production of numerous foodstuffs.
After a century of innovation, Biospringer joined Lesaffre
Lesaffre, a key global manufacturer of baking yeast, paved the way for a new generation of exciting developments.
Strasbourg
factory opening
Over 100 years after the Springer family purchased the Chateau de Réghat, Biospringer opened a second factory in France, this time in Strasbourg.
International
expansion
Biospringer started operating in South America with a local team in time for new millennium.
Towards
China
In 2006, Biospringer announced a joint venture with Yi Pin Xian, China’s leading yeast extract producer.
The decade has seen a wave of
exciting developments and
international acquisitions for
Biospringer like in the United States
In 2010, Biospringer opened its first Culinary Center in its historic hometown of Maisons-Alfort, swiftly followed by its first American plant in Cedar Rapids (Wisconsin), and its first Chinese plant in Laibin (Guangxi Province).
Between 2015 and 2018, Biospringer acquired three leading actors in the yeast industry: Sungain (China), Sensient (France) and Alltech (Serbia).
Biospringer united a century of fermentation mastery by joining forces with 2 iconic global players in the field of yeast extracts for the savory ingredients market.
2024 Acquisition of dsm-firmenich’s yeast extract business by Lesaffre
2025 Joint venture between Lesaffre & Zilor with majority stake in Biorigin
To represent this union and this new era, Biospringer adopted a new brand identity.
A global team of experts
Research & Development
Biospringer places the customer perspective at the heart of product development thanks to our Research & Development Centers and
Flavor Development Departments. Drawing on Lesaffre’s 600-Research, Development and Innovation team of experts, our R&D teams are dedicated to harnessing the limitless possibilities of yeast.
Meanwhile, our expert team of Flavor Development scientists and researchers analyze and work on improving organoleptic properties of yeast ingredients.
Culinary Centers™
Our Culinary Centers have a deep understanding of local requirements in terms of technology, formulations, market needs, trends and consumer preferences.
Each Culinary Center provides local clients with advice tailored to meet their specific needs via our food technologists. Their expertise offers a global view of how our products perform, both on their own and as part of the food matrix.
Sensory Analysis
Our Sensory Analysis panels evaluate and work on improving the tastes and the other organoleptic properties of the ingredients in yeast.
Composed of Biospringer employees, this team’s knowledge is used to guide innovation, inform product development and evaluate the final result in food applications.
Biospringer is proud to be a business unit of Lesaffre, an innovative producer of active yeast worldwide and an expert in fermentation. Founded in 1853 as a family business in Northern France, Lesaffre is a key global player in fermentation for more than a century, with a 2,7 billion euros turnover, and established on all continents, counts 11,000 employees and more than 90 nationalitiess.
In close collaboration with its clients and partners, our parent company Lesaffre is committed to working with confidence to better nourish and protect the planet.
Any questions about our products or services?
Contact us, our experts would be delighted to respond you.