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Givaudan, Bühler and Cargill are partnering with Food Tech Hub LATAM and the Food Technology Institute (ITAL) in Brazil to establish a tropical food innovation centre that serves Latin America. Located in Campinas, Brazil, the Tropical Food Innovation Lab will be located at ITAL, occupying a refurbished 1,300-square-metre area. The facility will encourage innovation in the food and beverage sector, including the use of wet and dry extrusion systems for plant-based proteins, as well as beverage processing units, which will add extra capabilities to the existing facilities. Once completed, the hub will feature application labs and a demo kitchen, where professionals can work together to create sustainable new products. Eduard Fontcuberta, regional innovation head at Givaudan, said: "The Tropical Food Innovation Lab brings a diverse and complementary group of strategic partners working together investigating market shifts, cross-fertilising ideas and nourishing concepts to deliver superior sustainable solutions to food and beverage customers." Damien Chapelier, head of Bühler South America, added: "This new innovation lab is a great achievement for Bühler, and we believe it will leverage significantly the food industry development in South America, especially in Brazil...Only within a collaborative and innovative environment it is possible to support our customers to be successful in a dynamic market through the development of new products." The Tropical Food Innovation Lab is planned to open in the first quarter of 2023.