VILVOORDE, Belgium – Cargill opened a research and development center in Vilvoorde, Belgium, dedicated to culinary innovation for customers in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The company invited customers to its Culinary Experience Hub to solve food formulation challenges and develop new ingredients and recipes with help from Cargill’s food experts.

The facility features a bakery pilot plant, a regional frying center and a culinary tasting area with capabilities for dairy, beverage, bakery, convenience foods and culinary applications. The facility is located in Cargill’s European R&D Center which serves as the company’s primary research and development center for the EMEA region.

“Imagine you’re a Cargill customer trying to identify the best ingredients for consumers,” said André van der Wulp, Cargill R&D leader in EMEA. “You could hear about an ingredient’s specifications and functionality, and perhaps sample a prototype. Or you could come to Cargill in Vilvoorde to co-create and taste a freshly prepared plate of food products like the consumer would at home or in a restaurant.

“Cargill's Vilvoorde Culinary Experience Hub houses a team of culinary experts and chefs that collaborate with customers to develop on-the-spot innovative solutions that specifically address the challenges and demands of consumers,” van der Wulp continued. “Our quality products combined with a dash of culinary creativity help us and our customers come up with new, on-trend food solutions that don’t compromise on taste, quality and affordability.”

Vilvoorde is one of Cargill’s first culinary experience centers. More than 150 scientists and technologies work in the hub.