The new centre, called an Advantage Centre, is in Mannheim and complements similar set ups in Liverpool and Singapore.ADM also has a separate R&D centre for oils and fats at the Noblee & Thörl Werks in Hamburg.
However having easy access to a dedicated centre, with its own pilot plant and laboratories, will help German customers optimise their formulations, reduce costs and streamline the product development process, according to the company. The company plans to hold application courses and demonstrations of manufacturing techniques at the centre – for bakery, confectionery and beverage applications.
Rinus Heemskerk, technical director for ADM Cocoa said: “Before ADM Cocoa opened the Mannheim Advantage Centre, our experts worked with customers either on customer premises or at other ADM facilities, depending on what was most convenient for the customer.
“Now, we are able to offer our German customers a local resource dedicated to customer collaboration in order to provide the most comprehensive service possible.”
As well as the experts at the cocoa centre, visitors will also be able to work with experts from the oils and fats centre on specific challenges that call for a complete review of formulations.
The company emphases that the oils and fats R&D Centre and the Mannheim Advantage Centre are separate, but can complement each other depending on customer needs.