ADM Cocoa International, a subsidiary of US agri processing giant Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), has opened its new cocoa development centre to serve its customers in Koog aan de Zaan in the Netherlands.
The company said that the new development centre, located in the home of its deZaan premium quality cocoa and chocolate, provides customers with pilot facilities, technical demonstrations, cocoa and chocolate seminars, among others.
The new 500m² centre comprises pilot facilities particularly for ice cream, dairy, bakery, cereals and chocolate confectionery, reported foodbev.com.
Cocoa and chocolate seminars at the new development centre will be provided on topics such as cost reduction, formulation optimisation, sustainability and innovation.
The centre also includes an auditorium that will accommodate large groups of customers for in-depth scientific explanations and evaluation of deZaan products.
The ADM Advantage centre, which works as the company's new worldwide centre of excellence for cocoa powder, cocoa butter and cocoa mass, is believed to attract interest from customers throughout Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
ADM Cocoa International director of innovation Rinus Heemskerk said the company will take a tailored approach, and will work with its customers to overcome individual processing challenges.
"We want this to be our customers' facility, where they are free to come and combine innovation and development so that they surpass consumers' expectations," Heemskerk added.
ADM's cocoa product portfolio includes D11EB dark cocoa powder, Fresco Cacao F11FR powder and DZFM 7000 cocoa mass mild non-bitter cocoa products and Astra A cocoa butter.
The company operates over 270 plants throughout the globe, where cereal grains and oilseeds are processed into products used in food, beverage, nutraceutical, industrial and animal feed markets worldwide.
In February this year, the company announced its plans to cut more than 1,200 jobs across the world in order to reduce costs.
Image: The new centre comprises pilot facilities particularly for ice cream, dairy, bakery, cereals and chocolate confectionery. Photo: Blair.
