DSM-Firmenich recently opened a new pilot plant in Plainsboro, New Jersey. The facility, located in the Taste, Texture & Health business unit, aims to promote and optimize collaboration with customers. It supports the company’s goal of accelerating the global nutritional transition by developing healthier and plant-based food and beverage options.
The pilot plant was designed to enable close collaboration between DSM-Firmenich teams and customers during benchtop development. It also serves to incorporate consumer feedback into the entire development process, the company explains.
The facility has extensive facilities and equipment to enable customers to make the transition from laboratory development to small-batch production, which is intended to facilitate and accelerate preparation for mass production. The pilot plant focuses on scaling beverage production and is designed for the development of both dairy and plant-based products.
DSM-Firmenich invests in proteins from precision fermentation
Last year, the Dutch company Vivici BV was able to win DSM-Firmenich as a founding investor and complete a successful seed financing round. Vivici aims to enrich the food market with sustainable alternative milk proteins produced through precision fermentation. With the support of founding investors such as DSM-Firmenich and Fonterra Venturing, Vivici is targeting the growing need for sustainable and nutritious proteins, especially given the forecast that global protein demand will almost double by 2050.
Vivici stands out for its many years of experience in the development of bioprocesses and its unique know-how in the isolation and application of milk proteins. The company emphasizes the importance of fermentatively produced milk proteins as a functional alternative to complement traditional agriculture.
The Netherlands-based company benefits from the country’s strong research and development infrastructure and plans to expand its presence in precision fermentation to contribute to the future-proof food system. Executives from Vivici, DSM-Firmenich and Fonterra Venturing express optimism about the company’s ability to develop and commercialize innovative solutions for the global protein market.
Chris Perkins, Senior Vice President Taste, Texture & Health North America, said of the new facility: “With this new pilot plant, we offer our customers and partners a comprehensive range of services and state-of-the-art facilities carefully designed to foster collaboration and improve consumer understanding and accelerate time to market.”
Maurizio Clementi, Executive Vice President Taste for Taste, Texture and Health, said: “Our fully equipped pilot plant is an important next step in our vision for our North American headquarters of Taste, Texture & Health, allowing us to be even more effective with our Collaborating with customers to develop the next generation of food and beverages that are good for people and the planet. Our state-of-the-art facility will be a vibrant place where passion and expertise meet.”
