“Consumers are voting with their values on a wide range of quickly emerging food issues,” said Ruth Kimmelshue, corporate senior vice-president for business operations and supply chain at Cargill. “We have to anticipate what the world wants to eat and what the future of nutrition is going to look like to help our customers succeed and meet consumer demand. These new R&D facilities will help us do just that.”
The Minneapolis Research and Development Center, a $25 million, 100,000-square-foot facility in Plymouth, Minnesota, U.S., features molecular biology labs, analytical and materials research laboratories, test kitchens, and a pilot production plant. About 200 scientists will work on such issues as improving food safety and developing new ingredients.
Cargill already operates a food innovation center in Plymouth where food science teams develop edible oil products and systems for bakery, snacks, cereals and food service customers.
The Cargill One Innovation Center, a 22,000-square-foot facility in Shanghai, China, features a sensory lab and a demonstration kitchen. The facility has capabilities for dairy, beverage, bakery, convenience food and culinary applications. More than 25 scientists will create menu ideas. Cargill will use the Shanghai location as a platform to educate the public on nutrition and food safety.
“These integrated facilities give Cargill the ability to harness our global expertise in animal protein, refined oils, sweeteners, starches, cocoa, texture solutions and unique flavors in one facility, creating a new R&D footprint in the foodservice market,” Kimmelshue said. “They will serve not only as innovation centers for China and North America, but will help our global community meet ever changing demands of modern consumers for taste, nutrition and safety.”
