The facility will have 150 staff with a technical expertise in developing bio-based food ingredient products and this is what the Corbion lab will be all about: creating new products through the use of a range of production and analytics equipment to test and trail products quickly and get them out into the industry as soon as possible.
The purpose-built lab has been fitted with bespoke laboratories for a range of food ingredient sectors, including meat, dairy and confectionery. All contain advanced manufacturing equipment, microbiology instruments, tasting stations and a fully fitted kitchen to mimic the conditions the product would be prepared in inside an average home.
‘Customer-driven innovation’
“This new R&D applications laboratory is a prime example of Corbion’s ongoing commitment to, and investment in, the development of world-leading solutions and services,” said Boudewijn van Nuland, Corbion’s vice president of marketing.
“With over 80 years in bio-based products, this exciting news shows we remain at the forefront of the industry. The laboratory’s state-of-the-art equipment and extensive tasting and microbiology capabilities position us to deliver an even higher level of customer-driven innovation and value over the coming years.”
Despite the laboratory only officially opening this week, Corbion said it had already completed the development of several “revolutionary food ingredients” at its new lab. The product most pertinent to the meat and poultry industry is the Verdad Avanta – a US-exclusive line of natural ingredient solutions that help to increase shelf-life, product texture and appearance. A spokesman for Corbion added that work on the new ingredient, in addition to several others, began at their old lab before development migrated to the new facility in Gorinchem.
Corbion describes itself as the “market leader in lactic acid, lactic acid derivatives and lactides”. In 2015 the company reported annual sales of €918.3m ($1.16bn) and had 1,673 full-time employees.