EUSTIS, FLA. — Florida Food Products (FFP) is accelerating its clean label food protection capabilities with a new innovation center and lab at its headquarters in Eustis, Fla. The facility officially opened in early June and features a microbiology lab, a dry product preparation room, a culinary kitchen, a sample lab and a customer demo space.

The innovation center will accommodate additional scientists the company plans to bring in, said Christopher Naese, vice president of business development and sustainability at FFP.

“When we made the decision to accelerate our innovation process, particularly in the clean label food protection category, we quickly realized we needed an innovation center that would offer this physical space and additional technical capabilities to execute our plans,” he said.

Pavan Soma, director of R&D at FFP, mapped out additional analytical and pilot-scale production equipment needed for the facility, including several bioreactors and analyzers for color and texture as well as organic acids, minerals and other molecules. The equipment is expected to reduce both scoping and prototype development time.  

Along with food protection, FFP offers flavor, color and texture solutions for applications spanning processed and cured meats, beverages, plant-based, health and wellness, culinary and pet nutrition. Its manufacturing capabilities include extraction, fermentation, drying and blending technologies, with vegetable juice concentrate production facilities in Florida, flavor creation and production in Melville, NY, and brewed tea, coffee and botanicals in John’s Creek, Ga.