Savoury investment: Frutarom opens new German starter culture lab
The new lab facility, dedicated to research and development activities in microbial food cultures – including starter cultures - will sit within Frutarom Savory Solutions customer centre in at the geographic centre of Germany’s meat processing industry in Holdorf.
The seven-digit investment in the extension of laboratory space and cutting-edge equipment will see Frutarom to extend its R&D activities as well accelerate its product development processes and expand its starter culture portfolio.
“Our new laboratory opens up much more possibilities in research and development for microbial food cultures,” said Dr. Christian Hertel, R&D Manager Cultures. “We can speed up our R&D activities and offer better tailor-made, customised solutions.”
“When developing starter cultures the focus is always to combine maximum product safety with excellent sensory properties of the final product. A comprehensive range of new starter cultures and protective cultures will in time, complement our existing portfolio perfectly,” he explained.
Frutarom said the investment underlines its long-term strategy to position itself as a leading supplier of starter cultures to the meat processing industry.
Not just R&D
Besides extending the firm’s R&D activities, the new facility will accommodate a separate laboratory, where antagonistic principles can be researched, said Frutarom – explaining that such research is ‘essential’ for the development of state-of-the-art microbial food cultures.
Trials and studies which would have previously been conducted by external institutes or laboratories will also now be carried out in house.
“Furthermore, the new pilot plant at the Holdorf facility allows for fermenting and freeze-drying of small quantities of microorganisms to produce pilot quantities of starter cultures,” said Frutarom. “Again, the main benefits are improved flexibility, quick implementation and more customer focus.”
