ADM Opens New Cocoa Development Center

The new centre, which is 500m², contains pilot facilities specifically for ice cream and dairy, bakery and cereals and chocolate confectionery. The centre also includes an auditorium that will host large groups of customers for in-depth scientific explanations and assessments of deZaan products.

April 30 2012 --- ADM has announced the opening of a new development centre for its customers in Koog aan de Zaan in the Netherlands – the home of its deZaan premium quality cocoa and chocolate. The ADM Advantage centre offers customers pilot facilities, technical demonstrations, cocoa and chocolate seminars and more. As ADM’s new worldwide centre of excellence for cocoa powder, cocoa mass and cocoa butter, the facility is expected to generate interest from customers all across Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

Rinus Heemskerk, director of innovation, ADM Cocoa International explains, “Innovation and service excellence are at the heart of what we do and we are excited to be offering our customers a unique opportunity to benefit from our years of focused technical expertise. Taking a tailored approach, we’ll work with our customers to overcome individual processing challenges so that their products succeed, again and again. We want this to be our customers’ facility, where they are free to come and combine innovation and development so that they surpass consumers’ expectations.”

Cocoa and chocolate seminars at the centre will cover topics including cost reduction, formulation optimisation, sustainability and innovation. Rinus Heemskerk continues, “As part of the deZaan ‘Less is More’ program, cost reduction is central to our offering and providing valuable resources, such as those at the new Advantage centre, proves our commitment to adding value, throughout the development process.”

The new centre, which is 500m², contains pilot facilities specifically for ice cream and dairy, bakery and cereals and chocolate confectionery. The centre also includes an auditorium that will host large groups of customers for in-depth scientific explanations and assessments of deZaan products.

Rinus Heemskerk concluded, “As a full service provider, ADM offers unique, differentiated products such as D11EB dark cocoa powder, Fresco Cacao F11FR powder and DZFM 7000 cocoa mass mild non-bitter cocoa products and Astra A cocoa butter. Our value added services, including formulation support, cocoa expertise – as set out in the deZaan cocoa manual – sustainability programs and cocoa and chocolate seminars enhance our product offering. Combined, this is what makes ADM the preferred global supplier of cocoa and chocolate solutions.”