IFF expands facility to add fruit ingredient manufacturing

The 47,000-sq-ft. Iowa addition represents a nearly $70M investment.

snack bars with fruit — Courtesy of Freepik

IFF is expanding its facility in Cedar Rapids, IA facility with the goal of capturing a larger share of the healthy snacks market in the U.S. and globally, it says.

The 47,000-sq-ft. expansion represents a nearly $70 million investment. When fully operational in the latter half of 2026, the expansion is projected to create up to 40 new jobs.

“Our Cedar Rapids plant will be equipped with cutting-edge technologies, allowing us to provide U.S.-made Taura by IFF fruit ingredients that can be easily integrated into food manufacturing processes,” says Andy Muller, president of Food Ingredients. “Additionally, sustainability is at the forefront of this project, aligning with our commitment to Do More Good.”

The facility will feature high automation, advanced packaging, and ergonomic designs. Its proximity to U.S. customers aims to enhance supply chain efficiencies. Moreover, the new facility will prioritize sustainability, incorporating efficient heat recovery systems, minimizing energy and water consumption, and utilizing reusable methods for raw material handling, IFF notes.

“The expansion project at Cedar Rapids represents the first U.S. IFF facility to focus on Taura by IFF ingredients,” Muller says. “Taura's clean-label fruit and vegetable pieces and pastes provide manufacturers with versatile formats for creating differentiated products with natural appeal.”

Taura ingredients can infuse long shelf-life food products, such as grab-and-go snacks, enhanced chocolates, cereals, and bakery items, with the multi-sensory appeal of real fruit. These ingredients are crafted by removing moisture while preserving the original fruit's integrity. IFF currently produces Taura ingredients in Belgium and New Zealand.

This expansion will complement the existing Cedar Rapids plant—which currently produces enzymes used in food, household, and personal care, and animal nutrition products, as well as biofuels production—and has already seen substantial enhancements in recent years. Altogether, IFF employs more than 200 workers in Cedar Rapids.

This article was originally posted on www.foodengineeringmag.com.