Nestle unveils $50m global R&D centre in Ohio for frozen and chilled foods

Nestlé has unveiled its new $50m Research & Development Center in Solon, Ohio, which will be a global center dedicated to innovation in frozen and chilled foods.

Spanning over 144,000ft², the new R&D facility will focus on Nestlé’s worldwide frozen and chilled foods businesses, taking into account Nestlé’s Nutrition Foundation requirements of balancing taste with nutrition, by exploring ways to reduce sodium and saturated fat, eliminate partially hydrogenated oils, incorporate more vegetables, and create gluten free and high-protein options.

It will feature a pilot plant, where the latest technological advancements and new recipes can be evaluated and refined for introduction into the market.

Nestle’s team of experts will offer insights, as well as guidance in nutrition, food processing, food quality, and food safety to Nestlé production facilities around the world.

Nestec Ltd head of global product and technology development Johannes Baensch said: "Few areas of research are as complex as food research.

"Nestlé has a long-standing reputation for excellence in research on food and nutrition and this Research Center is regarded as one of the world’s leading laboratories in food and life sciences. By creating Nestlé R&D Solon, we are transporting a significant piece of our global research expertise to the United States, our largest global market."

Nestlé USA chairman and CEO Paul Grimwood said: "We’re experiencing one of the most profound shifts in how people eat right now. To address the ever-changing landscape, we’re striving to make our products healthier and tastier using unmatched R&D capability, nutrition science and passion for quality in everything we do.

"I’m pleased that Nestlé R&D Solon will enable us to better anticipate and provide consumers with the food choices they deserve and the quality they have come to expect from Nestlé."

Nestle has earlier launched a number of brands from Solon, such as Stouffer’s, Lean Cuisine, and Nestlé Toll House cookie doughs. Various brands also shifted base in the region such as Hot Pockets and Lean Pockets, DiGiorno, California Pizza Kitchen, Tombstone, and Jack’s pizza brands.

In fact, the company’s entire frozen and chilled foods businesses have consolidated to the Solon campus, which already houses the Nestlé Professional’s Culinary Innovation Center.

Nestlé R&D Solon is also one of 12 centres of excellence for global product and process development. The project was announced two years ago.

Nestle is also in the process of opening its 13th center of excellence in Bridgewater, New Jersey, at an investment of $70m, which will serve as the new headquarters for Nestlé Health Science, as well as the new Nestlé Product Technology Center, dedicated to developing innovative nutritional therapies.

---

Image: Nestle’s R&D center in Solon, Ohio. Photo courtsey of Nestle.