Anchor Food Professional chefs at one of Fonterra’s application centres in China. Photo / Supplied / Fonterra
Anchor Food Professional chefs at one of Fonterra’s application centres in China. Photo / Supplied / Fonterra
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Fonterra’s Research and Development Centre is one of the largest dairy research facilities in the world, and it’s right here in New Zealand.
The Centre, located in Palmerston North on the banks of the Manawatū River, is home to hundreds of technologists, engineers, and dairy scientists, all focused on a common goal, Fonterra’s Director of Research and Development, Dr Pierre Venter said.
“We all work together to further unlock the goodness of New Zealand milk in quite innovative ways,” he told The Country Sport Breakfast’s, Brian Kelly.
One recent example is a UHT Cream - a long-life cream that doesn’t need refrigeration.
Venter said the cream was a “challenge” to create, as the team had to find a way for it to withstand temperature fluctuations and still be able to perform.
However, the results were “well worth it”.
“Products like this really help us to access new customers who want New Zealand’s cream, but they don’t have chilled supply chains or chilled storage facilities.”
Innovative products, such as this UHT Cream, can also be seen in action in Fonterra’s application centres in China.
Here, Anchor Food Professional chefs show customers how products can be used in different applications, such as cakes and beverages.
Anchor whipping cream on display at one of Fonterra's application centres in China. Photo / Supplied / Fonterra
Application centres were important for Fonterra, Venter said.
“Through these centres...we learn a lot about how our market is doing, and whether we need to continue to refine our product, or whether we need to completely develop new ones.”
This is where Fonterra’s Research and Development Centre comes in.
Venter said the team had already developed over ten different kinds of creams, including whipping, beverage and culinary creams.
Products from Fonterra's R&D Centre in Palmerston North are demonstrated at the co-op's application centres in China. Photo / Supplied / Fonterra
The pilot plant was where it all happened, and Venter had a front-row seat.
“If I open the door of my office and I just look down the corridor, I glance straight into what we call our pilot plant - which is roughly the size of two tennis courts...this is where our product development starts to get real.”
He said UHT creams were refined here.
“The teams work out what is the whip yield we need for those creams - when you whip them, how long they’ll stay up - and then also, what do they need to smell like, what do they need to taste like?
“Once they’ve sorted that all out, they’ll actually go and make these products and we’ll test them.”
When testing was completed, the products are sent to market for customer feedback.
While the first part of development happens at Fonterra’s Research and Development Centre, the next steps involve commercialisation, manufacturing, marketing and sales.
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This could take over a year, and while it was “quite a process,” Venter said it was rewarding.
“It’s really great for the people that we’ve got here at the Innovation Centre to build and develop these products, which we know, in turn, get sold in markets.
