Citric Acid Production from Corn Starch

Tezkim Tarımsal Kimya, located in Adana, produces citric acid from corn starch and exports to 90 countries. Agriculture and Forestry Minister Vahit Kirişci made the following remarks on the matter: "We have reached a point where we can obtain so many products from plants like corn. The R&D activities conducted in these areas, the hard work and these efforts have brought us to this stage. This citric acid facility is one of such examples. As a country, I find it very valuable that we produce these products here rather than importing them from abroad." Industry and Technology Minister Mustafa Varank stated: "We now produce and export citric acid ourselves, whereas we used to import it entirely from abroad." Noting that Tezkim Tarımsal Kimya's citric acid plant is one of the strategically important production facilities for Turkey, Varank said, "We are at TEZKİM's citric acid facility. The official opening of this factory was carried out by our President. This is a facility that can produce 54,000 tonnes of citric acid annually. The food industry is increasingly becoming a strategically important sector. Food-related discussions continue worldwide. We will continue to provide support as a ministry for both such facilities and in the biotechnology field. Our entrepreneurs will hopefully continue to develop Turkey through their investments," he said. Minister Kirişci, mentioning that many young people are employed at the facility, said, "They are working hard. I congratulate them once again. Hopefully, with capacity increases, it will become one of the few facilities and businesses that can compete globally." TEZKIM Board Chair Ahmet Tezcan, noting that they export to 90 countries, continued: "We export from the United States to Brazil. Currently, 40% of our production is exported and 60% goes to the domestic market. There is great demand for our product. For this reason, we decided to increase capacity by 100%. When we established the facility, we designed the space generously to accommodate approximately 100% growth. Now the capacity expansion has begun. We are planning to bring it online in the final quarter of 2023."