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Cargill to Create New Sweeteners and Starches in Middle East

Cargill and Agri-Business Firm Arasco to Take Foothold in Middle East Market

By , Farms.com

Cargill has said that it plans on developing new sweeteners and starches as part of a partnership in Saudi Arabia with another agri-business company – Arasco.

The joint venture is subject to regulatory approvals, however if the deal does go through, Cargill will own 20% and Arasco will have an 80% stake.

The move is a strategic one, as the Middle East is growing and is considered the highest growth area in the food and beverage industry worldwide.

The deal would acquire Arasco’s corn milling plant that’s located in Al Akarj with the goal to triple production to produce starch-based products aimed at countries in the Gulf.


Trending Video

Sweetener Effects on Gut Health - Dr. Kwangwook Kim

Video: Sweetener Effects on Gut Health - Dr. Kwangwook Kim



In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. Kwangwook Kim, Assistant Professor at Michigan State University, discusses the use of non-nutritive sweeteners in nursery pig diets. He explains how sucralose and neotame influence feed intake, gut health, metabolism, and the frequency of diarrhea compared to antibiotics. The conversation highlights mechanisms beyond palatability, including hormone signaling and nutrient transport. Listen now on all major platforms!

“Receptors responsible for sweet taste are present not only in the mouth but also along the intestinal tract.”

Meet the guest: Dr. Kwangwook Kim / kwangwook-kim is an Assistant Professor at Michigan State University, specializing in swine nutrition and feed additives under disease challenge models. He earned his M.S. and Ph.D. in Animal Sciences from the University of California, Davis, where he focused on intestinal health and metabolic responses in pigs. His research evaluates alternatives to antibiotics, targeting gut health and performance in nursery pigs.