Cargill opens latest Indonesian cocoa development centre
A major investment is being made by Cargill into creating a new cocoa development centre in Gresik, Indonesia, which is believed to be a first of its kind for the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, reports Neill Barston.
According to the company, the move has been designed to help enable customer-driven innovation with greater speed and agility, serving a region that has continued to show strong evolution over the past few years, attracting interest from major players across the sector.
Furthermore, Indonesia, which occupies a global role in cocoa production, was selected as a key hub to address the fast-changing Asian consumer preferences by facilitating the faster creation of products with unique and desired taste profiles.
Cargill, which was among major businesses participating at this year’s World Confectionery Conference, has made significant strides in recent years in terms of its product offerings – with the business showcasing its expanded portfolio at this year’s Gulfood Manufacturing event in Dubai last week.
“Asia stands out for its immense innovation potential as the fastest-growing region that currently accounts for about 25% of cocoa consumption in the world. Across this region are different and distinctive consumer palates, influenced by its geographical and cultural diversity. Cargill Cocoa Development Centre is a substantial investment that strengthens our capability to innovate for Asian consumers as a “bean to bar” innovation partner to our customers, backed by our extensive global supply chain networks, deep market insights and customised sustainability solutions,” said Francesca Kleemans, Managing Director, Food Solutions Southeast Asia, Cargill.
Moreover, the state-of-the-art Cocoa Development Center is equipped with a comprehensive suite of facilities that enable proficiency in small-scale product and process development. It operates as an advanced pilot production facility, allowing for faster prototype development and product trials from cocoa beans to cocoa ingredients. Positioned as a one-stop shop for tailored cocoa solutions where Cargill customers can co-create and experiment the cocoa recipes before embarking on large-scale production, the Cocoa Development Centre enhances Cargill’s existing global R&D intelligence and networks by enabling an end-to-end innovation from cocoa product development to food and drinks application.
Embarking on an innovative and sustainable journey to bring tailored cocoa products to life, Cargill invites customers to Gresik, Indonesia to co-create breakthrough solutions. “This Cocoa Development Centre serves as a catalyst for innovation, collaboration, and the advancement of new, sustainable cocoa products. Through this Centre, we are excited to collaborate and innovate more closely with our customers to bring innovative food solutions to delight consumers across Asia and the world,” added Francesca of its key new facility.