Barentz has announced the opening of a new Shanghai office and application laboratory, expanding local formulation and technical support for food and beverage customers and strengthening its Human Nutrition capabilities in China.
The new facility will initially focus on bakery and savoury applications, providing application development, formulation support and technical services to customers and strategic principal partners in China.
Barentz said the investment was in response to growing demand for technical expertise alongside ingredient supply, with the Shanghai laboratory designed to help customers accelerate product development and bring new formulations to market.
The facility will draw on Barentz's expertise in modified starches and stabiliser systems, while also connecting customers in China with the company's wider Asia Pacific and global Human Nutrition technical network.
Sue Song, Vice President Human Nutrition APAC at Barentz, said the Shanghai office and laboratory demonstrated the company's long-term commitment to the Chinese market.
"Customers increasingly expect more than ingredients alone," she said.
They need technical expertise, formulation support and faster innovation. This new facility enables us to work more closely with customers and principals to help accelerate their growth and bring innovative solutions to market.
The Shanghai laboratory forms part of Barentz's global Human Nutrition technical network, which includes 22 dedicated application laboratories and more than 40 application specialists working across bakery, beverages, health and nutrition, savoury, dairy, meat and fish, plant protein and other food categories.
Building its APAC presence
The Shanghai opening follows a period of expansion for Barentz's Human Nutrition business across the Asia Pacific region.
In January of this year, the company appointed Song to lead the strategic direction of its Human Nutrition business across APAC.
Barentz has also continued to expand its operations in Australia and New Zealand, completing the integration of Additive Solutions into its regional business in June.
The company said the new Shanghai facility will combine local market knowledge and application expertise with access to its global technical network, supporting product development projects in China and the wider APAC region.
