BASF lifts force majeure on key animal and human nutrition products

GERMANY – BASF has officially lifted the Force Majeure on several vitamin products across its animal and human nutrition portfolios, marking a major step in the company’s recovery from last year’s production crisis. 

The announcement, made on August 7, 2025, is effective immediately and restores the supply of Lutavit® E 50, Vitamin E-Acetate Oily Feed, and Lucarotin® 10% Feed NXT for animal nutrition, alongside a number of vitamin A and E products for human applications.

The lifting of the Force Majeure follows the successful restart of production at BASF’s Ludwigshafen site in Germany, which was severely damaged by a fire on July 29, 2024. 

The incident forced the company to halt deliveries of key vitamin A, vitamin E, carotenoid, and aroma ingredients, disrupting global supply chains for feed and food additives.

“We have been able to successfully restart the production of Lutavit® E 50 and Vitamin E-Acetate Oily Feed, and we are excited to be able to lift the Force Majeure for these products as of August 7, 2025,” BASF said in its latest update.

Gradual recovery since April

BASF began resuming production in April 2025, when vitamin A output restarted. By July, the company had successfully restarted vitamin E and carotenoid production, paving the way for the broader removal of Force Majeure restrictions. 

The company previously lifted restrictions on certain carotenoids and vitamin A derivatives in July, before this latest and more expansive update.

According to Expana’s Feed Additives Supply & Demand Pro service, BASF’s Ludwigshafen site has a production capacity of around 5,600 tonnes per year for vitamin A 1000 and 15,000 tonnes per year for vitamin E acetate. 

A 10% capacity expansion announced in January 2025 is expected to raise vitamin E acetate production to 16,500 tonnes annually by 2027, reinforcing BASF’s position as a key global supplier.

Broader impact on nutrition markets

The lifting of the Force Majeure is expected to ease supply pressures in both the feed and food sectors, where shortages of vitamins A and E had strained manufacturers over the past year. 

Industry observers note that BASF’s recovery will play a critical role in stabilising ingredient availability and pricing. 

“Previous statements made on this website regarding lead times for supply, timing assumptions and Force Majeure status on all other products remain valid,” BASF added, signalling that while progress has been made, certain ingredients are still affected.

With production at Ludwigshafen gradually returning to full capacity, BASF’s Nutrition & Care segment is now on course to restore supply reliability for its global customers after more than a year of disruption.

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