Roquette, a leading ingredients company in the food and pharmaceutical industries, has opened a new innovation center for food ingredients at its plant in Lestrem. This facility, with an investment of €4.5 million, is part of Roquette’s global Research and Development network and aims to be a trusted partner for food industry players in addressing global challenges such as population growth, aging, and demand for healthier and more sustainable diets. The innovation center offers a wide range of capabilities including technical support, R&D support, cutting-edge equipment, labs, and scale-up testing to foster innovation and accelerate the go-to-market of new products. With a team of over 30 engineers, doctors, and technicians, Roquette tests the application of raw ingredients such as pea protein, wheat protein, soluble fibers, polyols, and starches in various food products. The company focuses on plant-based proteins, fibers, and polyols to develop sustainable and healthier alternatives for dairy, confectionery, bakery, and other food sectors. The innovation center also collaborates with professional chefs to create recipes and provide sensory analysis and feedback on the developed products. Overall, the center aims to partner with the food industry to drive innovation from the early stages of product development.