Roquette, a global leader in plant-based ingredients and a pioneer of plant proteins, has announced the opening of a centre of expertise of 2,000 square metres in Vic-Sur-Aisne (Hauts-de-France, France). The centre will enlarge the field of possibilities in terms of food innovation, new plant protein development and new production technologies. It will enable Roquette to support its growth ambitions and make a greater contribution to the food revolution and the plant-based gastronomy.
The new centre illustrates Roquette’s strategy of making the Vic-sur-Aisne site a dedicated place for plant protein development. This centre will be a major asset to designing the future technological processes that will bring new plant protein properties. Expertise, innovation and technologies are critical to anticipate food market preferences and offer new gastronomic experiences.
Roquette intends to introduce several new sources of protein every five years. This new asset offers enormous potential to test innovative ingredients, to further develop existing ones and to propose a tasty and nutritional plant-based cuisine for meat and dairy alternatives or specialised nutrition.
The 131 employees at the Vic-sur-Aisne site and a large number of local partners have worked hard since 2005 to become a major centre of pea protein production in the world. The investment of 11 million euros in the new centre of expertise will build on Roquette’s 40 years’ experience in the research and production of plant protein and will reinforce the group’s position as a leader for food, nutrition and health markets.
Jeremy Burks, senior vice-president of Plant Proteins at Roquette, said: “With this R&D accelerator in Vic-sur-Aisne, a production site with an experience of 15 years that no one else has, we will bring plant-based innovation up to a new level. We are uniquely positioned to respond to what customers need as we strive to be the best partner for food innovators.”
Roquette has launched a huge investment program to ensure that the plant protein supply is secure, safe and sustainable. The Vic-sur-Aisne investment is part of this programme of more than half a billion euros, which also includes the investment in a textured plant protein site in Horst (the Netherlands) and the construction of the world’s largest pea protein plant in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba (Canada), which will start production before the end of 2021.
