ofi Opens a New Customer Solutions Center in Singapore

olam food ingredients, a global leader in naturally good food and beverage ingredients, opened its new Customer Solutions Center (CSC) in Singapore on November 15, 2022. The new facility will enable ofi to better collaborate with brands, grocery retailers and foodservice companies to create their next delicious and nutritious product for consumers. 

A team of culinary and pastry chefs, food scientists, quality, regulatory and category experts will help ofi’s customers develop new products and applications using ingredients from ofi’s portfolio of cocoa, coffee, dairy, nuts and spices. These ingredients are highly complementary and can be combined into recipes and formats that meet consumer trends for exciting new flavors, health benefits, convenience, and plant-based solutions. Food quality and safety are at the heart of the CSC with its six laboratories, along with pilot facilities which can test whether a new concept can be produced in a large-scale manufacturing environment. 

The Singapore CSC is well integrated with ofi’s global network of 15 innovation centers and its Customer Solution Centers in Chicago, Amsterdam and Bangalore, on-the-ground sourcing and buying teams in major and specialty growing regions, and extensive sustainability programs with partners that support farmers, reduce environmental impact and provide traceability.

The APAC region was recently named the largest segment of the USD6.4bn global food and beverage industry. At the inauguration, the ofi CSC team showcased concepts that can contribute to general wellbeing benefits and meet top consumer trends for the following: 

• Plant-forward products – such as the Tomyum snack bar. The concept utilizes honey as a sugar substitute, and the ofi nut butter can support recipes looking for protein and other nutritional benefits found in nuts.
• Amplified sensory experiences – such as Pandan Snow, inspired by a well-known Taiwanese snack known as snow crepe flakes. They are filled with crunchy ofi nuts such as pistachio, cashew and almond.
• Cleaner label formulations – such as Chiz Leleh, a type of gelato that combines filled milk powder, instant coffee and cocoa powder, ingredients easily recognized by consumers.

A Shekhar, CEO, ofi commented: “At ofi we firmly believe in the power of partnerships – our broad ingredients portfolio, underpinned by an integrated global network, enables our business to work with the very best of external partners to create tasty and innovative food and beverages. From our close ties with farmer suppliers, customers and leading R&D experts such as those here in Singapore, we can help brands to leverage our deep-rooted sustainability programs, which are a key tenet to achieving our Purpose to Be the Change for Good Food and a Healthy Future.”