CITRIBEL
Citribel is a Belgian manufacturer of citric acid, citrates, and mycelium-based ingredients (MycaNova, MycoFence, MycoGlucan), serving food, pharma, nutraceutical, personal care, animal nutrition and industrial customers via B2B industrial supply from its Tienen production site.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1919
- HeadquartersTienen, Belgium
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What CITRIBEL does
Citribel NV is a privately held Belgian fermentation manufacturer headquartered in Tienen, with approximately 350 employees operating a single large-scale production site that includes 184 fermentation chambers. The company is among the top three global producers of citric acid and also manufactures citrate salts (trisodium citrate, monosodium citrate) and mycelium-derived specialty ingredients marketed under the MycaNova (biomaterials), MycoFence (animal feed beta-glucan) and MycoGlucan (pet immune-support beta-glucan) sub-brands. Core production uses natural surface fermentation on upcycled sugar molasses feedstocks, yielding a circular, lower-carbon process profile and a broad certification stack (ISO 9001/14001/22000, FSSC 22000, GMP+, Halal, Kosher, Ecovadis, SDG Pioneer).
The business sells on a B2B, quote-based industrial pricing model to customers across at least eight verticals: food, beverages, pharma, nutraceuticals, personal care, home care, animal nutrition and industrial chemicals. Pricing is contract-driven rather than transactional, and revenue mechanics rely on long-cycle, qualified-supplier relationships in regulated end-markets rather than on consumer brand demand. Citribel has been privately held since 2016, when it was acquired by Belgian private investors, and in 2022 rebranded from La Citrique Belge to Citribel to reflect the broadened fermentation platform.
The mycelium ingredient portfolio, launched sequentially from 2023 onward, represents a deliberate pivot from commodity citric acid toward higher-margin specialty bioproducts, while the legacy citric acid and citrate business provides the operating cash base. Leadership includes Joris as CEO, Johan Volckaerts as Managing Director, Emmanuel Raskin as Director SHE&Q, Franky Vandermeulen as HR Manager, and Ruben Ghillebert as Process Improvement and Innovation Manager, indicating functional depth in safety, quality, and continuous process optimization.
CITRIBEL firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CITRIBEL
- Legal name
- Citribel NV
- Website
- https://citribel.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1919
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Citribel is a Belgian manufacturer of citric acid, citrates, and mycelium-based ingredients (MycaNova, MycoFence, MycoGlucan), serving food, pharma, nutraceutical, personal care, animal nutrition and industrial customers via B2B industrial supply from its Tienen production site.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
CITRIBEL industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Citric Acid & Citrate Manufacturing
- NAICS
- Chemical Manufacturing (325), Food Manufacturing (311)
- SIC
- Industrial Organic Chemicals (2860), Food And Kindred Products (2000)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Citric Acid & Citrates (Sodium/Potassium/Calcium Citrate) (AFAJAGAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Molasses & Treacle (Cane/Beet Molasses, Treacle) (AFAJAAAM), Fermentation Substrates & Sugars (Molasses, Glucose Syrups, Lactose, Malt Extract) (AFAJAJAI), Chelators & Sequestrants (Calcium Disodium EDTA, Citrates as Preservation Aids) (AFAJAFAH), Salt, Acids & pH Regulators (Citric/Lactic/Phosphoric, Buffers) (CRADAOAC), Yeast Products & Fermentation Metabolites (Yeast Culture, MOS/β-Glucans) (AFADALAM)
Keywords
Where CITRIBEL is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tienen
- HQ country
- Belgium
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
CITRIBEL business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Citric Acid Sales: Sale of citric acid in anhydrous, monohydrate and liquid formats to food, pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and industrial manufacturers
- Citrate Salts Sales: Sale of trisodium citrate and monosodium citrate for buffering, pH control and formulation stability applications
- Mycelium Ingredients: Sale of wet mycelium for feed supplementation and dry mycelium powder for biomaterial applications including shoe uppers, leather goods, luxury packaging, furniture and automotive
- MycaNova Brand: Sale of MycaNova fabrics and biomaterials made from upcycled mycelium for sustainable design applications
- MycoFence and MycoGlucan: Sale of beta-glucan products derived from mycelium for animal feed and pet nutrition applications
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Bulk industrial volumes |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
CITRIBEL product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Citribel manufactures citric acid (anhydrous, monohydrate and liquid), citrate salts (trisodium citrate and monosodium citrate) and mycelium-based ingredients through natural surface fermentation using sugar molasses as raw material. Products are supplied in bulk volumes (25 kg bags, big bags and liquid formats) to food, pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, personal care, animal nutrition and industrial manufacturers worldwide.
Product overview
CITRIBEL is a European manufacturer based in Belgium that transforms sugar molasses into citric acid, citrate salts and mycelium ingredients through natural surface fermentation. The company's portfolio includes citric acid (anhydrous, monohydrate and solutions), trisodium citrate and monosodium citrate, produced under strict quality standards with a circular manufacturing approach. CITRIBEL also produces mycelium-based products under the MycaNova, MycoFence, and MycoGlucan brands, serving food, pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, personal care, animal nutrition and industrial markets worldwide.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- MycaNova: Innovational brand offering high-quality biomaterials made from upcycled mycelium for applications such as shoe uppers, leather goods, luxury packing, furniture, automotive.
- MycoFence
- MycoGlucan
Products and services
- Citric Acid Citric acid in anhydrous, monohydrate and liquid formats produced through natural surface fermentation using sugar molasses. Used by food, pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and industrial manufacturers for pH control, buffering, chelation, flavor enhancement and preservation.
- Citrates Citrate salts including trisodium citrate and monosodium citrate, used by food, pharmaceutical and personal care manufacturers for buffering, pH control and formulation stability.
- Feed & Agro Feed and agro business offering wet mycelium rich in protein for feed supplementation and dried mycelium powder for blending into animal nutrition formulations.
- MycoFence Pure organic immunity booster derived from mycelium, rich in high-quality beta-(1,3/1,6)-glucans (>60%), supplied for animal feed formulations including aquaculture applications such as salmon.
- MycoGlucan Immune booster for pets derived from mycelium of Aspergillus niger, rich in beta-glucans for functional feed applications supporting pet immune health.
- MycaNova Innovative brand offering high-quality biomaterials made from upcycled mycelium, supplying sustainable materials for shoe uppers, leather goods, luxury packaging, furniture and automotive applications.
Companies that use CITRIBEL
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles6 records
CITRIBEL technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
CITRIBEL partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators5 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
CITRIBEL competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- ADM (Archer Daniels Midland): Major global food ingredients and fermentation company producing citric acid, citrates, and other acidulants. Comparable as a broad incumbent serving food, beverage, pharma, and animal nutrition end-markets at scale.
- Roquette: French global leader in starch and polyols, expanding into fermentation-based ingredients including organic acids and citrates. Comparable as a large European-based fermentation ingredients manufacturer.
- Tate & Lyle: UK-listed food ingredients supplier with citric acid and specialty acidulants alongside sweeteners, starches, and texturants. Comparable as a B2B ingredient manufacturer targeting food, beverage and industrial customers.
- Kerry Group: Irish-headquartered taste and nutrition company with fermentation-derived ingredients including yeast extracts and beta-glucans for food, beverage and pharma customers. Comparable as a B2B specialty ingredient supplier leveraging fermentation know-how.
- DSM-Firmenich: Dutch-Swiss ingredients and flavors giant with extensive fermentation-based products including organic acids, vitamins, and food ingredients. Notable as a former owner of Citribel (via DSM) and a competitor in fermentation-driven food and pharma ingredients.
- Cargill: Global agricultural commodities and food ingredients conglomerate that produces citric acid alongside a vast portfolio of sweeteners, starches, and fermentation products. Comparable as a large-scale supplier to the same B2B food and industrial customers.
Direct peers
- Lesaffre: French global leader in yeast and fermentation, producing yeast-derived beta-glucans and other fermentation metabolites for food, feed, and nutrition. Comparable to Citribel's MycoFence and MycoGlucan beta-glucan offering from a fermentation platform.
- Jungbunzlauer: Swiss-headquartered producer of citric acid, citrates and other fermentation-based ingredients via surface and submerged fermentation. Direct competitor to Citribel in bulk citric acid and citrate salts serving food, beverage, pharma, and personal care.
Emerging players
- Ecovative Design: US mycelium materials company producing mycelium-based packaging, textiles, and leather alternatives. Directly comparable to Citribel's MycaNova biomaterials business targeting leather substitutes, packaging and design applications.
- MycoTechnology: US-based fermentation company using fungal mycelium to produce food ingredients and flavor modifiers. Comparable to Citribel's MycaNova and mycelium ingredient strategy of commercializing mycelium biomass and derived compounds for food applications.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
CITRIBEL social profiles
Digital presenceCITRIBEL compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance8 records
CITRIBEL financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CITRIBEL leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
CITRIBEL funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CITRIBEL M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about CITRIBEL
What does CITRIBEL do?
Citribel manufactures citric acid (anhydrous, monohydrate and liquid), citrate salts (trisodium citrate and monosodium citrate) and mycelium-based ingredients through natural surface fermentation using sugar molasses as raw material. Products are supplied in bulk volumes (25 kg bags, big bags and liquid formats) to food, pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, personal care, animal nutrition and industrial manufacturers worldwide.
Is CITRIBEL a public or private company?
CITRIBEL is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was CITRIBEL founded?
CITRIBEL was founded in 1919.
Where is CITRIBEL based?
CITRIBEL is headquartered in Tienen, Belgium, in the Europe region.
How does CITRIBEL make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Citric Acid Sales are the primary driver. The others are citrate Salts Sales, mycelium Ingredients, mycaNova Brand and mycoFence and MycoGlucan.
Who are CITRIBEL's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are ADM (Archer Daniels Midland), Roquette, Tate & Lyle, Kerry Group, DSM-Firmenich and Cargill. Direct peers are Lesaffre and Jungbunzlauer. Emerging players are Ecovative Design and MycoTechnology.
Does CITRIBEL have an API?
No public API is recorded for CITRIBEL.
What industry is CITRIBEL in?
CITRIBEL's product category is Citric Acid & Citrate Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAJAGAA, Citric Acid & Citrates (Sodium/Potassium/Calcium Citrate), with a secondary code of AFAJAAAM, Molasses & Treacle (Cane/Beet Molasses, Treacle). Its NAICS code is 325 and its SIC code is 2860.