Roquette has unveiled a €4.5 million (US$4.8 million) innovation center in Lestrem, France, geared toward fostering food innovation and accelerating the launch of novel products. The facility is equipped with state-of-the-art capacities for high-moisture extrusion, an ultra-high temperature line with direct steam injection for dairy and beverage applications and a tableting press simulator.

The modern facility is kitted with laboratories for sensory analysis, consumer surveying and inter-departmental collaboration to meet physical, chemical, rheological, formulation or nutritional demands of the food industry. 

Pascal Leroy, senior executive vice president of Core Ingredients at Roquette, tells FoodIngredientsFirst that the first major trend demonstrating continuity in the industry is the “search for convenience without compromising on quality and nutrition. This trend drives the development of innovative meal solutions that offer indulgence and nutritional value to improve health and well-being.”

“This focus on health will continue to grow, leading to increased demand for personalized nutrition and sustainable food choices, another key factor in the decision-making process of customers.”

Personalized nutrition wave
Roquette anticipates that the future of food will prioritize plant-based formulation with a high nutritional profile as the personalized nutrition segment is expected to grow exponentially. The food innovation center features a demonstration kitchen to create dishes featuring its ingredient innovations.

The collaborative spaces and laboratories facilitate pilot-scale testing for various applications across all major food sectors, including dairy, savory, confectionery, bakery, beverage and specialized nutrition.

Isabelle Routier, head of global food customer technical services at Roquette, says: “The purpose of our new food innovation center is to support the food industry as a whole, thanks to a wide range of capabilities, from the early stages of recipe formulation to the industrial scale-up of the solutions we find on store shelves.”

“To do this, our scientists, doctors, engineers, nutritionists and food technologists must put both their expertise and their passion at the service of understanding the details of food composition and nutritional value,” says Routier. “We’re building a future wher food isn’t just about fueling our bodies. It’s also delighting our taste buds and being environmentally friendly with (high) quality foods.” 

According to a survey conducted by Innova Market Insights in 2023, the largest portion of consumers looks for health benefits when choosing new products. However, consumer food choices involve dynamics, such as value for money, taste and indulgence, and sustainability. 

With diets and food purchasing habits changing at a rapid pace, the food sector needs to follow a continuous innovation strategy. Roquette aims to meet consumer demand for new tastes, textures and culinary experiences.Scientists demonstrate how sugar-reduced chocolate is analyzed and produced.

The goal of the food innovation center is to partner with food industry players to speed up innovation from the earliest stage of product development. Food formulators will receive technical and R&D support at the center or scale-up testing with the objective of accelerating the “go-to-market” of new products.

For example, Roquette is currently baking a sugar-reduced muffin using soluble wheat fiber from the Nutriose range which reduces the sugar by 30%.

“Since we conceived this center as a co-creation place with our customers, we’re not just creating innovative solutions but also fostering collaborations across different sectors,” says Routier.

Roughly 300 panels will be conducted at the facility by about 90 panelists characterizing flavor profiles and comparing data across the company’s global network.

“Consumers also look for cultural diversity, seeking authentic flavors and global dining experiences,” says Leroy. “This will foster an even greater appreciation for international cuisines and creations all over the world.”

Hitting the market dynamics brief
The labs are used for testing bakery and snacks, confectionery, including chewing gum, tablets, jellies, chocolate, dairy, specialized nutrition, beverages, savory food applications and 

products developed through extrusion. There are also 57 manufacturing workshops.

“The Cuisine” is a lab wher researchers look for inspiration through collaborations with chefs.

Prototypes will be analyzed in the sensory analysis lab across a range of themes, from the profile of a new vegetable ice cream, to comparing two sugar-reduced chocolates or assessing the creaminess of vegetable veloutés, for example.

The dairy lab prioritizes applications targeted at specific consumer groups such as young children, the elderly, sports enthusiasts and people looking for healthy solutions to manage their weight.

“Ice cream is a popular product, especially this time of the year. You can also improve its nutritional profile by adding fiber to decrease the level of sugar. We can also work on the plant-based alternative (plant-based ice cream with our pea protein),” Christine Beauvois, head of customer technical services Europe, Roquette, tells us.

“You can get the same result in terms of sensory (qualities) and (the added value of) better for the planet and better for you.”A tandoori-flavored curry with Roquette’s patented plant-based chicken alternative.

The company can formulate beverages, yogurts, ice creams, cheeses, high-protein bars and balanced meal alternatives, among others.

 “Our new food innovation center hosts more than 30 scientists and we have over 2,500 square meters of labs. From here, our experts provide advice and solutions to food players, with a mission to speed up innovation,” explains Routier.

“We do this through targeted formulations, dedicated technical seminars, co-development sessions, innovation days, as well as on-demand specific training on key topics to accelerate product development.”

Roquette’s experts work through intergenerational collaboration to train the next generation of doctors, engineers and technicians that will design healthier, tastier and more sustainable food options.

Earlier this year, Roquette invested in Daiz, a Japanese start-up that develops plant seed germination and an extrusion process to enhance the texture, flavor and nutritional profile of plant-based foods.