The Shanghai-based innovation centre – Cargill One – will focus on three key areas: taste and flavours, food ingredients and menus that appeal to changing consumer demands.
It employs 50 researchers, scientists, nutritionists and chefs, and is the company’s first innovation centre to specialise in more than one type of food group.
Cargill senior vice-president Todd Hall said: “We have multiple innovation centres around the world specialising in distinct food groups, such as animal protein, sweeteners, food texturisers, feed and such.
‘One-stop consultancy’
“Cargill One is our first innovation centre in Asia that pulls together all this knowledge from our many businesses to offer a one-stop consultancy to our customers in China.”
The firm hoped the centre would develop food and flavours that Chinese consumers wanted in their diet in a safe, healthy and nutritious way, while providing a platform for public education on food safety and nutrition.
The company planned to extend the services of Cargill One to other markets across Asia.
‘Future of food’
Chris Mallett, vice-president of research and development at Cargill, said: “Cargill One is the future of food. It a window for us to better understand what consumers want today and tomorrow and help our customers be ready with the food their consumers want in the future.”
The centre officially opened on December 1. Members of the China Cuisine Association and the China Association of Bakery & Confectionery Industry attended the opening.
Meanwhile, Cargill was awarded Meat and poultry manufacturing company of the year at last month’s Food Manufacture Excellence Awards (FMEA).
Cargill’s achievements were recognised in front of hundreds of food and drink manufacturing sector guests with the FMEA trophy presented at the awards ceremony, hosted by star TV presenter Carol Smillie.