At the beginning of April, Roquette announced the opening of a Food Customer Technical Service (CTS) Center in Singapore, strengthening its position in Asia. The ingredient supplier developed a strategy to intensify its technical capabilities in Asia, which currently rely on CTS Centers in Shanghai (China), Mumbai (India), Tokyo (Japan) and now Singapore.
To find out more about the new innovation centers, World Bakers asked Roquette’s officials.
What features can bakery manufacturers benefit from at the Food Customer Technical Service Center in Singapore? Please share details on how it can serve various categories of businesses, from artisan to industrial producers.
The CTS dedicated to food in Singapore has a broad range of capabilities. Our state-of-the art bakery equipment is fully operational and allows us to perform formulation development in areas of baked products such as cakes and bread to snacks such as biscuits, chips and coated products.
Our experts are trained to provide support analytical tests that help industrial producers establish guidelines around quality and shelf life of finished products as well as provide scientific data for increase understanding of how each individual ingredient works in the finished food matrix.
A primary focus of this world-class facility is to work closely with our partners and customers in the region to tailor our solutions to the distinct preferences, health requirements and cultural needs of Asian consumers. We believe to accelerate innovation, Roquette can benefit from collaborating with partners to help speed up development projects and we have the network to link up with other co-ingredient suppliers.
The new CTS is part of a global network of experts at Roquette who work closely together and have access to both global and local technology that will benefit the Asian customers.
What support can you provide specifically tailored for start-ups?
This new facility as the Asia Pacific center of excellence brings together our current CTS Centers in Shanghai (China), Mumbai (India), Tokyo (Japan) in supporting customers in their technical understanding of Roquette’s solutions for food applications, concept development and upscaling.
Key areas that start-ups can benefit from Roquette are product formulation; solution for protein enrichment, fiber enrichment and sugar reduction which is a growing trend in this part of the world as consumer awareness continue to rise on choosing healthier options; Roquette has the capability to provide analytical support that establishes parameters during production startups and develop concept recipes that deliver sensory experience by combining texture, quality and taste, not to mention health benefits.
And what further work can bakeries do together with Roquette at the APAC Innovation Center?
They will benefit from 85 years of innovation in plant-based ingredients and capability to imagine and offer concepts of innovative products that meet the unique and essential needs of various consumer lifestyles.
A well-equipped bakery lab and wide-ranging analytical instruments are enablers for collaboration opportunities. Working with Roquette will also mean access to novel ingredients for both texture or health benefits to test and firsthand knowledge of recipe development that support current trends such as high protein and sugar-reduced baked products. The latter is especially relevant as Asia faces rising obesity and diabetes cases wherein product innovation and reformulation can respond to these health concerns.
What specialization areas do experts available for consultations cover, pertaining to bakery?
The CTS in Singapore currently has three application scientists who are strongly supported by a team of global and regional experts with a breadth of expertise in texture, rheology, functional ingredients, concept idea development and basically, the science of baking.
Customers can also benefit from the expertise of Roquette’s R&D global network on the nutritional assets of our range of plant-based ingredients & solutions.
How can specialists at the center help with product formulation and texture improvements? Please illustrate.
As part of the global network of CTS at Roquette, our scientists have a strong knowledge base of our specialty ingredients and their application into baked products apart from the technical capability to arrive at precise texture profiles with the use of analytical equipment.
Understanding market needs and anticipating consumer expectations are our key strengths in delivering novel ingredients that can marry texture with quality and taste as dietary habits in Asia continue to evolve. The Marketing team at Roquette not only works closely with customers but also keeps a close eye on consumer trends to address the market with tailor-made ingredient solutions.
Please describe facilities at the Innovation Center as well as training services available if applicable.
The Singapore CTS serves as a real partner for our customers in innovation; technologies and expertise in formulation and application science ; innovation through new solutions (products, process, service, application); training to support application developments. With its completion, we are even more determined to partner with customers and collaborators for innovation in food ingredients and processes. We can provide training to customers on ingredient functionality and formulation science.
At our facility, we have state-of-the-art equipment to fully serve the baking segment ranging from cakes, bread, cookies and snackable products (biscuits, sheeted snacks), noodles in molding, proofing, cutting, mixing etc. These equipment and resources are available
What will novel food technologies include?
Increasing health consciousness and consumer concerns over sustainability across Asia have created an increasing demand for Roquette’s plant-based products, such as new sources of protein. Roquette strongly believes that pea-based ingredients along with ingredients from corn, wheat and potatoes, can help address the specific health and dietary challenges in Asia. The expertise we have accumulated in plant-based ingredients more than 85 years give us considerable advantages in the Food and Nutrition sectors especially with the growing pressures to address health priorities in many Asian countries.
What partnerships with universities and R&D institutions do you aim for, and what work will it entail?
Roquette believes that partnership is a first step in accelerating innovation and being located in Singapore, enables Roquette to benefit from an ecosystem of expertise. We will innovate and collaborate to offer environmentally friendly, sustainable and competitive solutions.
When offering the best of plant resources, we also work in partnership with collaborators (customers, universities, institutes) as there is a strong need for innovation to be agile and in tune with the fast-changing world – especially in Asia.
Developing strategic partnerships on proprietary research in sugar reduction to manage blood glucose level; vegetal proteins as alternative protein source; fiber enrichment that improve digestive health, sustained energy release and blood glucose management; and texturizing solutions that enhance the taste experience; are some of the areas of interest.