Firmenich and International Flavors and Fragrances opened new facilities dedicated to bringing technology to food ingredient development this week.
The new flavor of Firmenich & Beyond Pilot Plant opened in Anaheim, California. The company said the factory has a wide range of state-of-the-art equipment and capabilities designed to help new products reach the market faster by preparing them for larger production.
The international ingredients company said the plant was part of its commitment to help provide consumers with healthier and more sustainable food.
“The food and beverage industry is evolving rapidly globally, and at an even faster rate here on the West Coast of the United States. This speed makes speed to market critical,” said Sherry Xian Linert, vice president of Firmenich West Coast Ventures, in a written statement. “I’m excited to leverage our new West Coast Innovation Center and Pilot Plant, along with our expertise in plant-based proteins and nutritional products, to work with customers on rapid prototyping. Together, this powerful combination enables us to help customers innovate quickly. to win in a highly competitive market.”
Swiss-based Firmenich set up a dedicated business unit in California five years ago. Last March, the company unveiled its West Coast Innovation Center, also in Anaheim, California. This space, the company says, is designed as a collaboration space to work with customers on rapid innovation.
Beyond this new plant, Firmenich has had a lively summer. In June, Dutch chemicals giant Royal DSM announced it would merge with Firmenich. The deal, worth around $21 billion, is expected to close in the first half of 2023.
IFF’s new Culinary Design Center for plant-based food also opened this week in Brabrand, Denmark.
This facility was also designed for companies to work with IFF on rapid prototyping, with the aim of shortening the time from ideation to commercialisation, the company said. The facility includes a pilot manufacturing site for plant-based food and a studio for live streaming and remote sensory testing.
IFF’s new facility is part of the company’s Re-Imagine Protein Innovation Program, which the company began in 2017. This program was designed to create technology that could help set IFF’s work apart across multiple categories and applications.
“This shows IFF’s commitment to making bigger and bolder bets on where the market is going,” Flavors Group President Matthias Haeni said in a 2017 statement about the program.
Recently IFF has been investing in similar facilities to improve innovation across the world. Last month, the company announced it was spending $15.8 million on innovation centers in São Paulo, Brazil; Bogota, Colombia; and Santiago, Chile.
