Why regional vitamin production is essential for global food supply resilience

15 June 2026

6 minute read

By: Silvia Sonneveld

In the global landscape of animal agriculture, vitamins form a cornerstone of feed formulations that support the health and productivity of pigs, poultry and dairy cattle. In these sectors, these micronutrients facilitate everything from immune support to metabolic processes, directly influencing yields and operational costs. Yet, with the vast majority of global vitamin supplies for feed coming from Southeast Asia, with heavy reliance on China in particular, the industry remains susceptible to interruptions that can cascade through international markets.

Ongoing challenges such as geopolitical tensions, shipping constraints, and supply bottlenecks continue to expose these weaknesses. When a single-source supply chain is interrupted, animal health deteriorates rapidly, food quality suffers, and production costs rise sharply. European production therefore emerges as essential to food security – not merely as a strategic alternative, but as a critical response. This article explores the challenges posed by over-reliant supply chains and how regional vitamin manufacturing offers a pathway to mitigate these threats, offering resilience for producers everywhere.

Examining risks in over-relied supply networks

Global vitamin manufacturing has gravitated towards concentrated hubs in China, While this has streamlined costs, it amplifies vulnerabilities when issues arise along the supply chain. Policy adjustments, production interruptions or transport delays can swiftly disrupt vitamin supply, risking insufficient availability for proper vitamin additives infeed, which will affect animal performance, as recently highlighted by the IFEEDER report in the US, Vitamin and Amino Acid Supply Chain Assessment. 

China is currently the only country that manufactures all vitamins. For vitamins such as B1, B6, B9, B12, C, and H, China accounts for over 80 per cent of global production, and holds more than 40 per cent share for vitamin E and A. Recent data from the European Feed Manufacturers' Federation (FEFAC) in 2025 highlighted that the EU imports on average 70 per cent of its vitamins and 70-80 per cent of amino acids, with China dominating supplies, leading to declining capacity utilisation at European sites despite stable underlying demand.

Yet Europe retains strong foundations for supply resilience through highly specialised vitamin production sites, grounded in decades of scientific expertise, industrial investment, and regulatory standards. Proper utilisation of this capacity could foster meaningful regional independence and minimise exposure to external shocks, provided sourcing decisions actively support it.

Recent disruptions underscore the fallout of these vulnerabilities. The 2017 and 2024 production disruptions at BASF's Ludwigshafen plant curtailed global vitamins A and E availability and triggered price surges. A separate cereulide contamination incident prompted infant formula recalls across more than 60 countries, highlighting fragility in interconnected systems. China's export controls on rare earths further demonstrate how concentration in a single country enables strategic leverage with global consequences.

Emphasising reliability in feed ingredient selection

Vitamins are non-substitutable inputs, playing an irreplaceable role in animal health and food production. Research by the Institute for Feed Education and Research (IFEEDER) shows that when access is disrupted, the impact is rapid and severe. Deficiencies in vitamin A can increase broiler mortality by up to 80 per cent and quadruple footpad lesions. In sows, insufficient vitamin E has been shown to triple mortality, while shortages of B vitamins more than double mortality rates in market hogs. Vitamin D deficiency can reduce egg production by more than one third, with cascading effects across downstream food products.

Feed and food production systems rely on the premise of uninterrupted vitamin access, yet past events reveal this expectation to be fragile. Interruptions can occur abruptly due to export limitations, contamination incidents, or policy changes. In such cases, alternatives are unavailable, and solutions cannot be implemented swiftly. Over a matter of weeks, this results in suboptimal animal performance, welfare concerns, elevated mortality rates, and decreased yields. For bakers and food processors, these issues manifest as variable nutrient enrichment, formulation difficulties, and threats to product standards, while feed manufacturers encounter supply gaps and operational disruptions.

Beyond these external pressures, ingredient sourcing also influences outcomes. Feed procurement often hinges on cost, but overlooking quality can lead to inefficiencies. Vitamins with suboptimal stability or potency variations may demand elevated inclusion levels to meet nutritional targets, offsetting any upfront savings and complicating inventory management.

In pig nutrition, consistent vitamin A supports epithelial integrity and immune function, crucial in weaner diets to prevent post-weaning diarrhoea. Formulations like dsm-firmenich's ROVIMIX® A1000 retain 70–90 per cent activity under stressful conditions, enabling precise dosing without excess. By contrast, less stable alternatives might necessitate adjustments, leading to uneven growth and higher feed conversion ratios.

Poultry operations are affected similarly; vitamins B and E are key for neurological health and antioxidant protection, especially in broilers under rapid growth regimes. For dairy cattle in housed systems prevalent in northern Europe, vitamin D supplementation is vital due to limited sunlight exposure. 

Initial savings on lower-grade vitamins may be offset by downstream losses, such as reduced animal productivity or increased feed waste. By opting for higher-quality, regionally produced alternatives, global producers can mitigate these risks and enhance overall system efficiency.

Incorporating environmental efficiency into supply strategies

Livestock production faces mounting scrutiny for its resource use. With global consumption of animal protein projected to increase by 60-70 per cent by 2050, systems must deliver both higher output and lower environmental impact.

Feed plays a central role in determining emissions, land use and resource efficiency. European vitamin production demonstrates the potential impact of low-carbon design choices. For example, dsm-firmenich's vitamin A produced in Europe has a carbon footprint around 70 per cent lower than comparable alternatives, corresponding to savings of roughly 48 tonnes of CO₂ per tonne produced (equivalent to planting around 800 trees).

In pig farming, this supports reduced nitrogen excretion through better protein utilisation, aligning with initiatives like the Dutch government's 2025 grants for emission-lowering vitamin research. Poultry producers can leverage stabilised premixes to produce high-vitamin eggs with enhanced nutritional profiles, while minimising feed spoilage. For dairy, precision supplementation bolsters metabolic health in high-yield cows, lowering methane output per litre of milk. Enhancements in consistency can improve conversion rates, reduce waste, and lower emissions per output unit – supported by EU investments in bio-based alternatives and renewable energy.

Leveraging Europe's infrastructure for worldwide stability

Expanding local capabilities shortens chains, improves oversight and meets rigorous standards, offering global buyers in the swine, poultry, aquaculture and ruminant industries a dependable source.

Poultry, the largest EU feed vitamin consumption segment at around 40 per cent market share, exemplifies the benefits: innovations in layer premixes enhance welfare and product quality. In dairy, especially in intensive Scandinavian and Dutch systems, consistent vitamin D access supports bone health amid confined housing.

This diversification fosters a resilient global framework, distributing risks without sidelining trade. Maintaining regional vitamin production in Europe helps address these risks by reducing reliance on vulnerable long-distance logistics and providing greater control over quality, safety and traceability. The strategic question is not whether to participate in global markets, but how much of the food system should depend on essential inputs produced far from where they are used, under conditions that are not always visible or consistent.

Resilience does not come from having capacity in theory alone. It depends on keeping that capacity economically alive. Prioritising European suppliers helps ensure that essential production remains viable where it is ultimately needed, valuing reliability, transparency and proximity in sourcing decisions rather than defaulting to large import volumes simply because they are cheaper in the short term.

For dsm-firmenich Animal Nutrition & Health, drawing on over a century of vitamin expertise, investments in sustainable, high-performance production reinforce supply chains that prioritise quality and environmental stewardship.

Ultimately, vitamins underpin the functionality of swine, poultry, aquaculture and ruminant systems and thereby secure animal protein for a balanced human diet. A disruption of vitamin supply will risk the health of our society.  Resilience is not built on capacity alone—it depends on keeping that capacity viable. Securing European supply means not only maintaining production, but using it. That requires valuing reliability, transparency and proximity alongside cost. When small inputs carry large consequences, resilience starts with securing the fundamentals.