Three global companies, Givaudan, Bühler, and Cargill, have formed a consortium in collaboration with the Food Tech Hub LATAM and Ital, Food Technology Institute, to build a food innovation center in the city of Campinas, recognized as Brazil´s tech powerhouse. The “Tropical Food Innovation Lab” will be located at the Food Technology Institute, Ital, in a fully refurbished, 1,300 square meter area. This new hub will be the go-to place in Latin America to connect and develop sustainable, future food and beverage products. Startups, companies, investors, universities, and research institutions will have direct access to high-end technologies for rapid prototyping and plugging into the global food tech ecosystem that will foster fast paced innovation in the food and beverage sector. 

The most current generation of wet and dry extrusion systems for plant-based proteins, as well as beverages processing units will add complementary capabilities to the existing facilities of ITAL. When complete, the facility will feature new application labs and a state of the art demo kitchen, where consumers, food scientists, nutritionists, chefs, mixologists and marketers, among other professionals, will work together to create sustainable new products.

In a world facing major challenges from climate change, combined with a population expected to exceed 9.5 billion people by 2050.  It is essential for the food industry to take positive action and work towards a regenerative and equitable food system that provides healthy, safe and nutritious food for all, while staying within the planetary boundaries.

Brazil has the richest plant biodiversity on the planet, distributed in six major biomes, and is one of the world’s main food producers. Yet immense potential remains, with regards to healthy and sustainable products, novel food and food waste reduction, contributing to Food Systems Transformation.  

“Ital with its almost 60 years of history in Brazil has become a market reference in carrying out research and development as well as providing technological and innovation support. Sharing our facilities will help to carry out joint RD&I activities with the aim of establishing tools for the creation of an innovation food ecosystem as well transferring technology for the food production sector to stimulate socioeconomic development,” emphasizes Gisele Camargo, director of research program and deputy director of Ital, one of the Research Institutes of Agribusiness Technology Agency of the São Paulo State Secretariat of Agriculture and Supply.

Eduard Fontcuberta, regional innovation head at Givaudan says: “The Tropical Food Innovation Lab brings a diverse and complementary group of strategic partners working together investigating market shifts, cross-fertilizing ideas and nourishing concepts to deliver superior sustainable solutions to Food & Beverage customers. At Givaudan, we continuously challenge ourselves to create delicious and nutritious food experiences. With an expanded portfolio of products across flavors, taste, sense, health and nutritional solutions and a deep knowledge of the food ecosystem, we are uniquely positioned to drive positive change within the food industry."

“This great cooperation around innovation will accelerate not only the creation of new food products and categories but also new companies, which will flourish with the sustainable use of the Brazilian biodiversity,” says Paulo Silveira, founder of the FTH Latam.

“This new innovation lab is a great achievement for Bühler and we believe it will leverage significantly the food industry development in South America, especially in Brazil. As a leading process technology and solution provider, with more than 160 years of experience and a strong focus on innovation, we believe we can contribute with our know-how to create real impact. Only within a collaborative and innovative environment, it is possible to support our customers to be successful in a dynamic market, through the development of new products," says Damien Chapelier, Head of Bühler South America. 

“Cargill is working to nourish the world. We’re bringing together people, ideas, and resources to deliver products, technology and ways of operating that build successful businesses and communities, with our customers in the center of this approach. The Tropical Food Innovation Lab represents a great example of this commitment in Latam, where we will join our forces with distinguished partners in a very unique environment for co-creation and collaboration to accelerate sustainable innovations what matters to the regional agri-food value chain and beyond that, to support our customer strategy and demands,” says Carlos Prax, regional R&D leader at Cargill.

The Tropical Food Innovation Lab is planned to open in Q1 2023.