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IFF has expanded its innovation footprint with the completion of its new North American Creation and Design centre in New Century, Kansas. The 3,700-square-foot upgrade combines the company's flavour and ingredient product development capabilities and further increases its food design offerings to better support the region's food industry. The infrastructure enhancement includes the incorporation of two flavour creation labs, the amplification of pre-existing food application design labs catering to the dairy, bars, culinary and bakery segments, and the establishment of a laboratory dedicated exclusively to the development of pet food. The facility has now ascended to become the company's second-largest creative hub in North America, featuring a total of ten laboratories and six pilot plants, synergistically serving dual objectives: bolstering customer support and advancing inventive product development. Carmen Cain, regional president for IFF’s Nourish division, said: “Our capability expansion in New Century provides a significant advantage to our customers. By integrating flavours, ingredients and food design in one space, we can increase our speed-to-market while offering a breadth of knowledge and resources across multiple food categories. She continued: "This investment strengthens our end-to-end IFF Product Design approach in which we reimagine future-proof concepts and experiences by combining our expertise in ingredients and flavours with a deep understanding of consumer behaviour.” The inception of two new flavour creation laboratories – tailored for both sweet and savoury flavours –signifies the first time flavourists have been based within the New Century facility. The flavourists will collaborate closely with the dairy, bakery, bars, culinary and pet food product application and design teams, fostering a seamless synergy of expertise. Debra Missel, regional creation and design director for North America, commented: “Product development cycles are shorter today, so it’s essential to be nimble. Having flavourists on-site working side by side with our product application and food design experts enhances our ability to rapidly create total product solutions that address both functionality and taste." She added: "In fact, New Century has one of the largest dairy and cereal bar pilot plants in North America. This investment benefits our customers because it streamlines their development times, getting products to the shelf that much faster.”