Nothum Food Processing Systems has expanded its customer support and product development offering with the launch of the Nothum Solutions Studio, a dedicated facility designed to help food manufacturers evaluate further processing technologies before investing in new equipment.

Located within the company’s headquarters in Springfield, Missouri, the new centre provides processors with access to full-scale production trials, technical expertise and process optimisation support. Since opening in May 2026, the facility has already welcomed customers from North America, South America and Asia, reflecting growing demand for collaborative product development and process validation.

The Solutions Studio has been developed as a practical environment where manufacturers can configure complete processing lines to match their own production requirements. Working alongside Nothum’s engineering, sales and food technology teams, visitors can trial different product formulations, refine equipment settings and assess production performance under real manufacturing conditions.

The facility showcases Nothum’s portfolio of further processing technologies, including its SuperFlex homestyle breading machine, BatterPro batter and tempura system and ProTherm continuous thermal fryer. Supporting systems such as the AcuFeeder breading feeder and EzFlow frying oil filtration system are also available for integrated line evaluations.

In addition to the production area, the centre features a commercial kitchen for product preparation and evaluation, alongside dedicated training facilities where customers can receive maintenance, troubleshooting and operational instruction.

Henri Janssen, general manager of Nothum in the Netherlands, described the new facility as a strategic investment in customer collaboration.

“The Solutions Studio is our centre of excellence. It allows food manufacturers to optimise production efficiency while maintaining product quality and experience first-hand how our technologies contribute to texture, crispiness and overall product performance.”

One of the Studio’s key objectives is to reduce uncertainty around capital investment by allowing manufacturers to validate processing performance before equipment is installed. During each trial, Nothum’s specialists work with customers to define project objectives, investigate production challenges and document processing results, providing data to support equipment selection and line design.

The company also assists international visitors with logistics, including sourcing ingredients locally where importing raw materials is impractical, helping manufacturers focus on product development rather than operational complexities.

An additional attraction is the Studio’s location within Nothum’s 90,000 sq ft manufacturing facility. Visitors can tour the production floor, where approximately two-thirds of the building is dedicated to the design, fabrication and assembly of processing equipment, providing insight into the engineering and manufacturing processes behind the company’s machinery.

The modular nature of the processing line enables trials across a wide variety of applications, including poultry, seafood, beef, vegetables and alternative proteins. Manufacturers can assess pre-dust, batter, breading, double-pass coating and frying configurations, evaluating everything from lightly coated products to heavier homestyle and tempura applications.

Throughout each trial, integrated monitoring systems capture critical production data, including core product temperatures, coating pickup at each stage and overall process performance. These insights enable manufacturers to quantify product quality, optimise efficiency and make more informed investment decisions.