June 7, 2011 

Cargill opens Latin America Innovation Center

Cargill has announced the opening of one of the food industry's most advanced technology and innovation centers in Campinas, state of Sao Paulo (Brazil).

The new complex was developed based on sustainable principles and houses technical teams from many fields of knowledge to develop innovative solutions, ingredients, and applications in partnership with customers.

The result of a BRL$20 million investment (US$12.6 million), the 20,000 square metre Innovation Center features multiple laboratories to serve customers in the beverage, baking, confectionery, convenience foods and dairy categories. It also includes a flavour and aroma laboratory, and an industrial lab to create and develop ingredients and applications for the paper, textile, corrugated and biopolymer market.

In addition to application development, the new facility will enable activities including product sensorial analysis, prototype development, ingredient creation and evaluation, consumer testing, and food preparation and tasting in the culinary center.

"Cargill's Latin American business is growing rapidly and our customers - local, regional, and global - are increasingly turning to Cargill to help them develop new products and improve the formulations of existing products," said Sergio Rial, senior vice president, Cargill. "This exciting new facility unites our diverse technical capabilities and ingredient portfolio under one roof and enables Cargill to efficiently partner with customers and the academic community to develop meaningful new consumer products."

Strategically situated only 100km from the city of Sao Paulo, Cargill's new Innovation Center is located in the Barao Geraldo District, in the city of Campinas (SP), a well known research and development and high technology hub for various institutions, universities and companies. According to the Brazilian Association of Food Industries (ABIA), last year the food industry recorded sales of BRL$300 billion (US$474 billion), up 7.2% from the prior year. Considering Brazil's strategic role in the Latin American food industry, the Innovation Center will serve as a regional product development hub, particularly for Argentina and Venezuela. It will also promote and facilitate the exchange of best practices across Latin America and globally among Cargill's more than 1,000 food and beverage scientists and researchers.

"By focusing research and development efforts in the region, Cargill further encourages connectivity with other locations where it does business around the world, creating an environment that favors process, ingredients, and product improvements," adds Rial.