The country’s No. 1 food company, CJ CheilJedang, is gearing up to introduce a new biotechnology brand next month. The brand, CJ Bioscience, will offer products and services in the field of red biotechnology involving therapeutic and pharmaceutical applications. It is part of CJ Group Chairman Lee Jay-hyun’s plan to boost its “wellness” business, which is one of the four growth engines he aims to cultivate over the next three years.

South Korea’s food to entertainment conglomerate CJ Group will acquire a controlling stake in an up-and-coming Dutch biotechnology company for 267.7 billion won ($221 million) to add cell and gene therapy and vaccine capacity to its bio portfolio being groomed for next growth.

CJ BIO is helping plant-based food manufacturers meet demand for clean labeling and natural ingredients with FlavorNrich, which it calls the “world’s first natural cysteine.” Cysteine is an essential ingredient for creating a meat-like flavor in animal-free products. One of 20 amino acids, it is a key precursor for creating a savory flavor through the Maillard reaction. FlavorNrich may be used to create meat-like flavors in a range of plant-based alternatives as well as broths, sauces and other animal-free applications.

The Honor Flight sends veterans to Washington, D.C. to view their war memorials. CJ Bio America showed its support for the cause by donating $30,000 to the Honor Flight program. CJ Bio America is also funding a Korean War monument that will be placed at Veterans Memorial Park.

The CJ Group plans to reenter the biopharmaceutical business by acquiring Chunlab three years after selling CJ Healthcare to Kolmar Korea. Chunlab, a company established in 2009 by Professor Chun Jong-sik of Seoul National University, specializes in the research and development of microbiome, a combination of microbe and biome referring to the trillions of microorganisms and their genes in the human body.

Few companies in the Fort Dodge region have experienced the type of growth seen at CJ Bio America. Nine years ago the company invested over $320 million in its Webster County plant, which produces an amino acid called lysine. Now another expansion is planned. CJ will invest about $20 million to increase production of threonine. The project, called G2, will create about 25 new jobs, bringing the total number of employees up to about 250.

CJ Bio America near Fort Dodge will receive $675,600 in tax credits for a $20.5 million expansion. CJ Bio America makes 150,000 metric tons of amino acids annually, used in swine and poultry feed.

In the seven years since the CJ Bio America plant opened, its employees have made an impact in the community. They have donated about $500,000 to various causes, according to Luke Palmer, the company’s senior operations manager. They have also provided about 20,000 hours of volunteer service, he added.

CJ Bio America is planning to invest about $20 million in its Webster County plant so that it can make more of an amino acid that’s added to some types of livestock feed. Construction is expected to be finished in September, with the increased production scheduled to start in January 2022. The project will create 25 or 26 new jobs, according to Dennis Plautz, the chief executive officer of the Greater Fort Dodge Growth Alliance. He said about 20 people have been hired already.

CJ Cheil Jedang tied up with SKC, a polyester film and chemical material manufacturer, to produce a new biodegradable plastic material that is flexible and durable. The material has been applied to the packaging of some food products. The new material developed by SKC and CJ Cheil Jedang is good for food packaging by utilizing the characteristics of polylactic acid (PLA) and polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs).