ADM strengthens Southeast Asian presence with Singapore innovation center

“Consumer tastes and preferences are changing, as people look to balance busy lifestyles with healthy eating habits. Our goal is to be the first-call ingredient and flavor experts for customers working to meet consumer needs throughout Southeast Asia,” says Donald Chen, ADM’s president, Asia. “Singapore is a critical hub of innovation and growth in the food and beverage world, and we are excited to leverage our technology, expertise and global scale to help Southeast Asian food and beverage customers remain at the forefront, and to offer job creation and talent development opportunities for scientific, technical, marketing and regulatory professionals in the food and beverage industries.”

Speaking to FoodIngredientsFirst, Vince Macciocchi, president of ADM’s WILD Flavors and Specialty Ingredients business, said: “Asia is a center of growth and innovation for the food and beverage business, and for ADM specifically. Our new innovation center expands our presence and capabilities in the region by offering a wide range of cutting-edge technologies to help customers develop complete solutions for consumers.”

The facility encompasses about 8,900-square feet (825-square meters) of lab and office space at the Biopolis research hub in Singapore. It will bring together ingredient creation, application, and product development, offering

 the ability to work directly on-site with customers to create a wide variety of food and beverage solutions to meet their specific needs for taste, nutrition, function and texture, according to Macciocchi. “It will help support ADM and customers as then innovate to create new food and beverage ingredients. ADM offers customers a wide portfolio of plant-based ingredients, from soy-based proteins like Clarisoy to corn-derived Fibersol, to ancient grains and pulses and natural flavors and juices,” he explains.

ADM plans to recruit up to 48 employees for its new technical and application center in Singapore. “Our focus and priority are to recruit local talent where possible, with capabilities and skills in flavors, nutrition, texture and functional specialty ingredients. We plan to also recruit talent in regulatory affairs, sales and marketing, sensory and customer services,” adds Macciocchi.

The Singapore innovation center will serve as the gateway to consumers in Southeast Asia and beyond, and enable ADM to work closely with customers to create complete flavor and specialty ingredient solutions that meet consumer preferences for taste, nutrition, function and texture. It will be staffed by a team of food scientists, flavorists and applications experts, along with sales, marketing and regulatory personnel.

“The opening today demonstrates Singapore’s value as a hub for agri-commodity companies to co-innovate with their downstream customers. With Singapore’s focus on building consumer market insights, food and agriculture technologies, Singapore is well placed to serve innovative agri-commodity companies in building their capabilities in ingredient valorization, and cater to Asian customers,” says Lee Eng Keat, Executive Director for International Organizations Programme Office, Logistics and Natural Resources, EDB.

“This new facility is yet another important step as we continue to enhance our portfolio and our capabilities around the globe,” adds Macciocchi. “Consumers are looking for new, innovative foods and beverages, and ADM continues to invest to ensure that we are the go-to solution providers for clean labels, sustainable ingredients and great taste.”

The new innovation center features a wide range of capabilities, including a food and flavor analytic lab; a beverage and dairy applications lab and pilot plant; a bakery and confectionery lab; a meat and savory lab; a sweet and savory creation lab; sensory evaluation facilities; and a customer innovation center.

Singapore is home to approximately 100 ADM employees. ADM has more than 1,000 employees throughout the wider Asia-Pacific region, where the company operates a wide range of processing facilities, including several animal feed facilities; a flavor and ingredient facility; a sweetener and soluble fiber complex in China; food and flavor labs in Japan, China, Singapore and Australia; and sales offices in every major market in the region. ADM also owns a 24.9 percent stake in Singapore-based Wilmar Limited, the region’s leading agribusiness and packaged food oils company.