Andritz opens food innovation test center in the Netherlands

Andritz has opened a test and research center for the food and feed industry in Waddinxveen, the Netherlands.

Opening the new Food Innovation Xperience center: Joachim Schönbeck (CEO, Andritz) center, Olaf Müller (SVP, Andritz Separation division) left, and Marco Buis (MD of Andritz Gouda) right
Opening the new Food Innovation Xperience center: Joachim Schönbeck (CEO, Andritz) center, Olaf Müller (SVP, Andritz Separation division) left, and Marco Buis (MD of Andritz Gouda) right - Image © Andritz.

The Food Innovation Xperience center will be the development and technology hub where customers and Andritz experts will team up.

The test center is equipped with Andritz’s latest milling, extraction, dewatering and drying technologies. Customers will be able to conduct feasibility studies, pilot plant tests for scale-up or R&D activities under food-grade or ATEX conditions. Covering a total area of 850 m2, the center is available to customers in the food and feed industry as well as to research and development organizations.

Developing new, sustainable food ingredients and food manufacturing processes has become particularly important as food and feed manufacturers respond to the fast-changing market and consumer demands, governmental regulations and environmental requirements.

“In this context, it is essential to act quickly and scale-up new ideas, make existing production processes more efficient and reduce operations’ environmental impact, like freshwater consumption or CO2 footprint,” said Marco Buis, managing director at Andritz Gouda BV. “Our Food Innovation Xperience center offers customers the opportunity to determine the best possible manufacturing process for their need, building on latest technologies and line solutions as well as expert support from Andritz.”

In addition to the original test portfolio around drying and dewatering, the center offers various tests in the area of alternative proteins, traditional food and feed, as well as trend-setting extraction.

The Food Innovation Xperience center has been built next to the existing pilot and research facility at Andritz’s Waddinxveen site, where customers can perform tests for by-product processes and wastewater treatment.