Tereos unveils European innovation facility designed to “elevate nutritional standard of foods”

18 Apr 2024 --- Tereos has opened a new Customer Innovation Centre located in Aalst, Belgium. The facility is designed to foster innovation and deepen collaboration with customers by offering a range of services and solidifying its role as a central hub for customer support.

Speaking to Food Ingredients First, Michel Flambeau, Tereos’ Innovation Centre director, explains what boosting the nutritional standards of food entails.

“We help our customers to reformulate their products so that they can improve the nutritional value of their products through raising their Nutriscore.”

“We are committed to providing solutions to our customers to develop recipes that meet higher nutritional standards by leveraging our broad product portfolio combining fibers, cereal-based sweeteners and proteins.”

“To make this easier, we have a team of technical experts close to our customers who are regularly in contact with them to give advice and support and propose future project developments.”

While fiber, sweeteners and proteins are central to Tereos’ business model, the company will also operate within cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and corrugated cardboard sectors, Flambeau tells us.

“We are excited and ready to collaborate with our customers to develop new, healthier and more sustainable products. This is what the market demands, and at Tereos, we are ready to face that challenge.”

Tereos ensures its customers can meet the demand for healthier and more sustainable products. (Credit: Tereos)Adapting to a changing market 
Marion Hoff, Tereos’ sales director for Europe, also shares: “In a marketplace where demands are constantly evolving, the ability to adapt is essential, it’s not only about meeting needs but about differentiation.”

“We understand how relevant this is, and this investment underscores our commitment to innovation and product development that will allow our customers to stay ahead of the curve.”

Tereos’ Customer Innovation Centre delivers an average of 70 annual projects, serving nearly 150 customers and holding 300 active patents to date. Services offered at this site include:

• Formulation: Formulating or reformulating food products to boost fiber content and/or reduce calories and sugar content while enhancing improved nutritional labeling. Analysis of product taste and shelf life properties, enabling the creation of new and improved ingredients. 
• Product development: new food & industrial solution workshops.
• Consulting and technical support: proposals and advice adapted to customer & market needs.
• Training: multiple products and applications such as confectionery, chocolates, dairy, bakery, cereal products, extracted food, paper & corrugates board, among others.
• Analytical testing: physical measurements, sugar composition, sensory perception, shelf stability.

Furthermore, the center is structured by specialized teams, each one focusing on different areas such as food, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. 

It showcases newly established laboratories tailored to each industry, a demonstration kitchen and extensively upgraded analytical technologies.

By Elizabeth Green