SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, US — Bühler, a global technology partner for the food, feed and mobility industries, Givaudan Taste & Wellbeing and MISTA officially opened their extrusion hub at the MISTA Innovation Center in San Francisco, California, US.

The opening of the new facility on April 4 advances MISTA’s capabilities in driving food innovation and highlights Givaudan’s and Bühler’s commitment to supporting the transformation of the food system.

This collaborative effort between Givaudan and Bühler offers companies the opportunity to conduct innovative and effective product development trials for their extruded products. Equipped with a 30-millimeter twin-screw Bühler extruder, the hub enables both high-moisture extrusion, such as plant-based meat production, and low-moisture extrusion, including snacks and cereals. 

Unlike smaller benchtop extruders, the results obtained at the facility can be translated to full-scale production equipment. With an output of up to 50 kilograms per hour, companies can now explore new possibilities in product development with ease.

Ian Roberts, chief technology officer at Bühler, delivered the keynote speech during the event, emphasizing the importance of collaboration and technological advancements in shaping the future of the food industry. 

“Collaboration is key to building a sustainable future for food with the goal of feeding the expected 10 billion world inhabitants by the year 2050,” Roberts said. “The MISTA facility demonstrates that these collaborations provide real results. The partnership with MISTA, Givaudan and Bühler is providing a world-class technology platform for food innovators to develop and scale the protein sources that will sustainably nourish the world’s growing population.” 

Fabio Campanile, global head of science and technology at Givaudan, highlighted the company’s commitment to plant-based alternatives, innovation and the importance of partnerships. 

“Adding extrusion capabilities at MISTA expands our vast innovation network and further demonstrates our commitment to the alternative protein space,” Campanile said. “We believe that by working together and leveraging our collective expertise, we can continue driving the development of the food industry to deliver sustainable and delicious food experiences for consumers around the world.”

The hub at MISTA is the latest addition to the Global Innovation Network being built by Givaudan, Bühler and others, further solidifying the collective dedication to driving innovation and supporting its customers worldwide. Other innovation facilities include Givaudan’s Zurich Innovation Centre, the Protein Innovation Centre in Singapore and the Tropical Food Innovation Lab in Brazil. 

The hub launch coincided with the biannual MISTA in Action program, held at the end of March. This event brought together industry executives, leaders and startup companies from around the world to network and explore the latest collaborative advances in the food industry. Attendees included representatives from consumer-packaged goods companies, ingredient players, equipment manufacturers, service providers and premier funding companies in food tech.