World's largest HMO plant delivered in Huangshan

The launch ceremony of the second production line of Huangshan Tongxi Biotechnology in Huangshan. [Photo/Huangshan Daily]

On April 25, Huangshan Tongxi Biotechnology delivered its second human milk oligosaccharides (HMO) production line in Huangshan district. With an annual design capacity of 3,000 metric tons, the new line brings the company's total capacity to 3,500 tons, making it the world's largest HMO manufacturing plant.

HMO, the third most abundant solid component in human milk after lactose and fat, is crucial in infant formula for mimicking breastfeeding benefits — supporting gut health, immunity, and brain development. Known as the "golden code of early life", the ingredient has long been monopolized by a few international firms, leaving China heavily reliant on imports.

Founded in 2021 and based in Huangshan Taiping Economic Development Zone, the company specializes in HMO biosynthesis. It built China's first HMO production line in March 2023, exporting to over 30 countries. Construction of the second line began in February 2025.

At the delivery ceremony, the company signed cooperation agreements with Jiangnan University, Northeast Agricultural University, and China Agricultural University to establish joint R&D centers and a professorial workstation, accelerating the commercial application of academic research.