Baking&Snack - June 2012 - 64

INNOVATION CENTERS

Innovating together

At its Science and Innovation Center in Robesonia, PA, Reading Bakery Systems works with global snack manufacturers to develop new snack products or improve their existing products and processes. Such experimentation on a full-scale pilot plant can subsequently lead to adapting these tested products more easily to their production lines. Additionally, the company works with major ingredient suppliers to conduct tests in a variety of formulation and process conditions. To get ready for trade shows, companies will use Reading Bakery At Reading Bakery Systems’ Science and Innovation Center, Systems’ Science and Innovation Center to test new ingredients and the company works with bakeries, snack manufacturers and product ideas and to make samples for the trade show floor, accord- ingredient suppliers to test new products and ingredients on its ing to Ken Zvoncheck, the center’s director. Even though an ingredi- latest equipment lines. Reading Bakery Systems ent company won’t buy the equipment, Reading’s team of engineers benefit from the formulating and processing knowledge gained during such trials. “The ingredient trials are some of my favorites because of the learning involved, Mr. Zvoncheck said. ” “It’s very useful for us because then we understand what a specific ingredient does. ” During such an ingredient trial, the engineering team will run the same formula all day in its 30,000-sqft facility, which houses two pilot lines. The team tweaks the type and quantity of the specific ingredient. Analyzing the results based on these changes gives the team a thorough working knowledge on how an ingredient will operate on their machinery. Mr. Zvoncheck can then use that knowledge to suggest solutions when faced with a challenging customer trial. He described this as a win-win for both Reading and the ingredient companies. “The more I understand, the more it helps me suggest solutions during our customer trials, he ob” served. “Then, the ingredient supplier gets a recommendation if its ingredient happens to work for our customer’s particular product. ”

pan bread, whole-grain breads, rye breads, sweet goods, tortillas and whole-grain pizza crusts. Already the company has developed indulgent whole-grain sweet goods and worked with pizza manufacturers to produce a mix for the new school lunch requirements proposed by the US Department of Agriculture. Grain Processing Corp., Muscatine, IA, opened its solution center in May. Located in the Technical Development Center at the company’s headquarters, the expansion provides technical and research teams with a kitchen, lab and presentation area. Last year, Roquette America, Inc., Keokuk, IA, built a multi-milliondollar innovation center in Geneva, IL, The center’s human nutrition lab can reformulate existing products or innovate new ones for cereals, bars and bakery including cakes,

muffins, cookies, breads, fillings, glazes and icings. The lab can develop extruded and sheeted items. The center houses a demonstration kitchen, analytical laboratories and a pilot facility. Beyond labs and kitchens to play in, the center also features an auditorium to house Roquette University where visitors can learn about regulation, trends and technical developments. In 2011 at Food Ingredients Europe, Beneo Group, Tienen, Belgium, announced its new technology center, an investment that complemented the Beneo Institute, which the company opened in 2009. Both are located in Mannheim, Germany. “It represents the technical aspect of Beneo as an added level to the nutritional and health focus represented by the Beneo Institute,” said Rudy Wouters, vice-president of the tech-

nology center. The center gives customers the opportunity to pick the brains of specialists about product development and formulation including composition aspects, nutritional benefits, taste and texture. So far, the technology center has developed samples of gluten-free whole grain cookies, gluten-free high-fiber bread and concepts in baked goods and cereals enriched with fiber but reduced in sugar. Kerry Ingredients is investing globally in innovation as well. In addition to expanding its existing Center of Excellence in Beloit, WI, the company recently opened a center just outside Mexico City, Mexico. Kerry also plans to build centers in Asia and Europe that mirror the Beloit facility. The additions at Beloit includes expanded beverage and flavor labs as well as nutritional and pharmaceutical, taste, and

/ Baking & Snack / June 2012

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Baking&Snack - June 2012

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