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Puratos has opened a new Flour Competence Centre at its Belgian headquarters, aiming to help bakery manufacturers better understand and manage flour variability amid increasing climate, agricultural and supply chain pressures.
The ingredients supplier said the new facility, located in Groot-Bijgaarden, Belgium, will serve as a dedicated hub for flour analysis, research and application development, bringing together advanced analytical technologies and R&D expertise to translate flour data into practical solutions for bakers.
The investment comes as flour variability becomes an increasing challenge for the bakery sector. Changes in climate conditions, farming practices and global supply dynamics are contributing to greater inconsistencies in wheat crops, affecting key flour characteristics such as protein content, enzyme activity, moisture levels and water absorption capacity.
According to Puratos, even small variations in these parameters can significantly impact dough performance, fermentation processes and finished product quality.
The company said the centre will conduct research into crop evolution and its impact on bakery and patisserie applications, while also evaluating new ingredients and technologies designed to stabilise flour performance.
Other areas of focus include assessing the functionality of regenerative flour in finished products and advancing next-generation flour analysis techniques.
Insights generated through the centre will be used to support the development of Puratos' portfolio of bakery improvers, sourdough solutions and patisserie mixes. The company said this will help customers maintain product consistency across applications ranging from fresh bread and frozen dough to extended shelf-life baked goods.
Paul Baisier, chief R&D officer at Puratos, said: "Flour forms the base of most bakery recipes, yet it is one of the most complex and variable raw materials in the industry. With our new Flour Competence Center, we leverage global data, advanced analytics and GenAI-driven predictive modelling to better understand and anticipate flour variability, translating insights into practical solutions for our customers."
Puratos highlighted the growing industry shift towards regenerative agricultural practices, noting that while such systems can deliver sustainability benefits, they may also introduce greater variability in raw materials.
The company believes deeper understanding of flour behaviour will be increasingly important as bakers seek to balance sustainability goals with operational consistency and product quality.
Baisier added: "This capability becomes critical as the shift toward regenerative agriculture increases raw material variability, and it enables us to support customers more proactively in adapting processes, maintaining consistent quality and translating variability into new sources of value."
The new centre will be digitally connected to Puratos' global network of flour laboratories, allowing researchers to combine worldwide datasets with local market expertise.
The company said this "glocal" approach will help generate insights that are both globally scalable and regionally relevant, taking into account differences in crop conditions, flour characteristics and customer requirements.
In addition to supporting product development, the facility is expected to serve as a platform for collaboration with customers, research partners and other stakeholders across the grain and bakery value chain.
The Flour Competence Centre officially opened on 15 June and forms part of Puratos' broader strategy to strengthen scientific understanding of key bakery ingredients while helping customers navigate increasingly complex raw material challenges.
