DKSH opens food application lab in Lyon

To be opened at the beginning of May 2010, the new lab has been built to support customers and suppliers looking to develop new products and formulations for the beverage and bakery industries.

DKSH already has three such labs in Asia where it works with food and drink suppliers including Wild in the development of new products.

By setting up a new application lab in Lyon, John Roemling, who heads up the DKSH food business in Europe, said the company is now looking to expand its Asian model westwards.

Beta-glucan potential ​

In Lyon, DKSH plans to focus on beverage and bakery applications, and the potential of barley beta-glucan in these products.

DKSH will work on extending the use of beta-glucan in beverages and overcoming formulation issues such as excess viscosity. The firm sees potential for beta-glucan in the bakery category and will be looking to develop new applications for the sector.

Roemling said the long-term goal of the Lyon site will be to extend the work of DKSH into more quality, value-added applications.

The food business at DKSH is worth about €50m in annual turnover and is orientated around three pillars; non-GMO soy ingredients, nutritional fibres, and frozen seafood.

Market expansion services ​

DKSH does not itself manufacture these products but partners with companies to provide marketing and distribution services for them. It focuses on applications in four sectors; food service, beverage and dairy, nutritional supplement, and bakery and confectionery.

Overall the food business is a small part of the DKSH group, which employs 21,000 people and has an annual turnover of about CHF 8bn (€5.57bn).

The Swiss-based company offers market expansion services to companies in a variety of sectors including consumer goods, healthcare, performance materials, and technology.