Clean label hub: DuPont expands ingredient & process development, eyes R&D project growth

30 Aug 2018 --- DuPont Nutrition & Health (DuPont) is expanding its R&D team by creating a “clean label hub” at the Brabrand (Denmark) facility. The hub will feature experts with backgrounds in clean label and sustainability – two fields that often work together and serve related purposes. Working closely with existing teams, the hub will bring products to market quickly and help grow the current project and focus on both ingredient and process development, according to the company.

Further intending to boost its project pipeline in healthy nutrition and clean label texturant offerings, six new employees will also join the existing team.

“Clean label is about creating foods and beverages with ingredients that consumers recognize, feel good about putting into their bodies, and that respect the Earth and its resources,” says Gerard Lynch, R&D Leader, Systems & Texturants, Emulsifiers & Sweeteners. 

“Our ingredients are already used in many applications that consumers consider clean label, but there are tremendous opportunities to innovate – creating ingredients that are even more sustainable, using a larger part of the natural raw materials, while providing health benefits to consumers. Committing to this innovation is critical for our ongoing success and growth,” he explains. 

Speaking to FoodIngredientsFirst, Hanne Thorsoe, R&D Leader, Systems, Texturants & Emulsifiers, also comments: “Two important factors driving the demand for functional ingredients are firstly, the need to develop recipes that satisfy consumer appetite for good food – recipes containing ingredients that consumers want vs. accept. Ingredients need to be more than safe and inert and should ideally provide benefit important to the consumer – these benefits can extend into benefits to the planet. Secondly, the consumer demand for ingredients associated with health and wellness – if not an explicit health and wellness benefit.”

There is certainly a lot of unexplored potentials, according to Thorsoe. “Less or minimally processed ingredients that provide functionality formulators need and demand,” he notes. “Our customers expect us to continually innovate and replace ourselves – helping them make foods that are more healthy & natural, preparable & affordable, stable & sustainable and nutritious & delicious.” 

“We have high growth expectations with the belief that it will come from innovations started both internally and externally. While we have a significant and important core business that is our foundation, the core is not enough to satisfy our overall growth expectations,” he says.

With the ability to utilize the broadest capabilities regarding natural raw materials access, processing, across fruits, vegetables, seaweeds and nutritional science, DuPont has vast potential to develop functional ingredients that meet consumer expectations, says the company. 

The hub will help customers continue to navigate clean label trends proactively and sustainably. DuPont is seeking creative scientists and engineers to identify ways to convert sustainable and natural raw materials into clean label solutions that meet consumer demands for simplicity and authenticity, all without compromising taste, texture and nutritional qualities.

Planned to be in place by early 2019, the clean label texturants team will have the opportunity to tackle exciting projects to provide texture and stability for multiple food applications.

“We are excited to launch this hub and put additional team members into place that will help us advance our innovation strategy to support our customers,” notes Mikkel Thrane, Global Sustainability Lead, DuPont Nutrition & Health. 

“This hub will enable us to continue integrating sustainability and the UN Sustainable Development Goals into our work, and the investment we are making will help us develop healthier, more nutritious and sustainable ingredients for our food supply,” he concludes.

By Elizabeth Green

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