Salutivia launches new NPD food and nutrition laboratory

21 Sep 2017 --- Food ingredient and supplement distribution company Salutivia has announced the launch of its new laboratory, based in Redditch in the UK and dedicated to driving new product development (NPD) in support of customer projects. The new laboratory is capable of making finished consumer concepts incorporating ingredients from its supplier partners.

“The food NPD laboratory covers some 20 square meters within a larger facility that incorporates a cosmetic NPD laboratory and manufacturing capability providing bespoke customer solutions,” Salutivia Marketing Communications Manager Ian Piper tells NutritionInsight. “We expect Salutivia’s NPD laboratory to innovate and complete some 50 products per annum.”

The Salutivia NPD laboratory is able to create drinks and dried mixes for B2B and B2C. All cooked and prepared goods from individual foods to meals are being developed in-house, including high-speed mixers and provers for bread and bakery applications.

The investment for Salutivia is some £60,000 (US$81,400) in modern facilities and food technology equipment.

Salutivia Managing Director Steven Cartlidge says: “This strategic investment in commercially relevant NPD is combined with leading food and nutrition ingredients and best-in-class services to forge ultra-dynamic partnerships with customers and supplier partners.”

Making finished concepts
The food and nutrition NPD laboratory is capable of making finished consumer concepts incorporating ingredients from Salutivia’s supplier partners. Salutivia notes that it enjoys, in particular, focusing on high-value ingredients with nutritional, functional and flavor attributes. The company says it understands the science behind the ingredients as well as having the ability to create recipes that are relevant to large-scale manufacturing.

A current example of the NPD laboratory in action is the creation of soups, pies and sauces that contain Peptan hydrolyzed collagen from Rousselot. “Peptan is sold extensively into the health and beauty sector, and soon consumers will be able to gain all the advantages to skin, joint and skeletal health by eating delicious everyday foods as part of a healthy diet,” says Piper.

Peptan collagen from Rousselot brings new concepts to the way consumers can receive key health benefits in confectionary, bakery products and hot drinks, Piper adds.

Another key opportunity aimed at today’s market is focused on new-to-market flavor technologies provided by Firmenich, including sugar reduction aids for beverages, bakery, dairy and confectionary. Novel breakthroughs in flavor release technology and improved flavor delivery systems are enhancing the enjoyment for protein intake in the sports nutrition sector, Piper notes.

The NPD laboratory also tests and develops products aimed at the fish and meat markets provided by Food Ingredients and Specialties including plasma applications used to increase yield and protein binding and injection blends to aid shelf life extensions.

Salutivia believes there is an expansive range of foods that can be designed and tested within the new NPD laboratory, with unlimited access to dietary and nutritional information, starting point recipes and food ingredients developed to specific nutritional requirements.

The NPD service is for Salutivia’s customers in the UK and Ireland; however, the company’s partners Firmalis and Innotaste provide NPD laboratory services for mainland Europe markets.

“Providing innovative yet practical recipes to keep our customers at the leading edge of global capability will be a key factor to wealth creation during the Brexit years,” Piper tells NutritionInsight.

“There is a large niche market out there for Salutivia’s ability to create the market from concept through the manufacturing process to successful product launch,” concludes Piper. “We invite customers and suppliers to engage and share a rewarding and successful partnership.”

By Paul Creasy