Chr Hansen’s food colouring business Chr Hansen Natural Colors has opened a new research and development (R&D) centre in Montpellier, France.

The new facility is part of the company’s long-term investment strategy to strengthen its position in the natural colour solutions segment.

Through the new research facility, the company aims to ramp up its pigment, formulation and application capabilities.

Chr Hansen executive vice-president Klaus Bjerrum said: “We are proud to be the partner of choice for so many food and beverage manufacturers. We highly value their trust and we will continue to earn the right to be their chosen partner.

“When travel policies allow again, we are excited to welcome customers and academic partners and jointly accelerate colourful, natural innovations for modern health-conscious consumers.”

The research facility in Montpellier will house numerous teams with expertise in raw materials, extraction and pigments, breeding, formulation and biotechnologies.

Over the past five years, Chr Hansen Natural Colors launched up to ten new products including the minimally processed red Hansen sweet potato.

Bjerrum added: “With the R&D centre we are cementing our leading position and will be even better equipped to develop differentiated technical solutions that meet the challenges of our customers.

“A key objective for us is to secure knowledge sharing and alignment across our global organisation so that we can offer customers the same high level of expertise wherver they are located.”

With the completion of the new facility, Chr Hansen Natural Colors is ready for acquisition with investment firm EQT.

Last month, Chr Hansen finalised an agreement to divest its food-colouring business to EQT IX Fund in an €800m ($930m) deal.

Natural Colors produces natural colouring ingredients using all-natural fruit and vegetable concentrates such as sweet potatoes, grape skin, spirulina, carrots and beetroots used by the food and beverages manufacturers.