Kalsec launches R&D lab at Wageningen
Ribbon cutting ceremony of the new lab and office facilities with Roger Nahas, Ph.D., Kalsec’s executive vice president of global R&D and chief innovation officer; Martha Todd, chair of board of directors; and Julie Heine, president and chief commercial officer.
Kalsec is expanding its existing footprint on the European continent with the opening of its Savoury Product Innovation Centre of Excellence (SPICE Lab) in Wageningen, Netherlands.
Kalsec is a natural ingredient solutions provider for the food and beverage industry, with global headquarters in Kalamazoo, Michigan. This new facility is designed to demonstrate Kalsec’s leadership in developing taste and sensory solutions derived from nature, with an emphasis on sauces, dressings and condiments applications.
“We chose to locate our new SPICE Lab in the heart of the Wageningen Food Valley to strengthen our position in the region and reinforce our commitment to our European customers,” said Julie Heine, Kalsec’s president and chief commercial officer. “We are excited to tap into the abundance of agrifood innovation clustered at and around Wageningen University & Research.”
Kalsec has served food manufacturing customers in Europe for nearly 30 years, and has a regional headquarters located in the United Kingdom. The company worked in cooperation with Oost NL, the East Netherlands Development Agency; Foodvalley NL as a network partner for practical valorisation; and world-renowned University and Research institution WUR to establish Kalsec operations in Wageningen.
Dr. David Johnson, Kalsec’s director of R&D – Europe, is building an international team of food scientists to facilitate research and new product development at the SPICE Lab. “We look forward to working in this amazing ecosystem as we develop partnerships with other pioneering food industry organisations,” he said.
Kalsec’s SPICE Lab is located at Plus Ultra II, a multi-tenant business facility on the Wageningen Campus. Plus Ultra II was developed by Kadans Science Partner with a priority on sustainability and the building has been categorised as energy label class A.
WUR is similarly focused, with a mission to explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life, and a GreenMetric ranking as the most sustainable university in the world. As a certified B Corp, Kalsec shares this dedication to sustainability, with a commitment to meeting the highest verified standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability.
Heine said: “It is our purpose to unlock the potential of people, nature and science to nourish the world. We are proud to contribute to the advancement of a more sustainable global food system.”
