The latest news, trends, analysis, interviews and podcasts from the global food and beverage industry

Global producer of natural ingredients and solutions, Döhler, has inaugurated its new office and laboratory hub in North Brunswick, New Jersey. The centre for taste with a focus on flavour and taste modulation innovation offers more than 12,000 square feet of laboratory space including a flavour analytics laboratory equipped with volatile and non-volatile capabilities and a functional extraction laboratory. Deborah Kennison, R&D VP at Döhler in North America, said: “We are thrilled to share that Döhler’s North Brunswick hub is featuring in-house sensory screening capabilities with expert panels. This, combined with the expertise of our global sensory team allows us to provide our customers with laboratory to industrial-scale solutions spanning the entire spectrum from flavour, functional ingredients and foodstuff to finished products with advantaged economics." The site will also act as an “east coast hub” for Döhler Ventures, a long-term oriented and entrepreneurial investor that supports early-stage start-ups. Additionally, it will scale up the strategic partnership of Döhler and Ixora Scientific, a San Diego-based start-up that focuses on the research and development of innovative taste modulators based on botanicals. The company chose North Brunswick for the hub’s location as it is home to 13 of the world’s leading technology companies; boasts 3,280 R&D establishments; is in close proximity to multiple “world-renowned” universities; and has the highest concentration of scientists and engineers in the region. Paul Graham, Cluster Americas CEO at Döhler, commented: “Our investment in the North Brunswick hub reflects our commitment to meeting the evolving needs of the US food and beverage industry. We feel that Döhler is well positioned to help our customers stay ahead of the curve in a rapidly changing market.” As part of the new hub, Döhler plans to utilise ultramodern sampling technology to enable customers to enjoy faster, more agile and higher-quality sampling, which the company says will provide its customers with a “significant competitive advantage”. In addition to the new North Brunswick hub, Döhler plans to expand its Cartersville plant in Georgia, US. The expansion will include an automated flavour production facility and bring additional capacity, customer-facing meeting spaces and administrative offices. The new North Brunswick hub marks Döhler’s commitment to meeting the evolving needs of the US F&B industry, bringing its North American customers the same flavour and taste modulation solutions implemented at its European headquarters.