News

Nestlé opens Ohio R&D centre

24 Jul 2015

Nestlé has opened its new Nestlé Research & Development Center in Solon, Ohio, and marked the completion of a $50 million, two-year project to establish this global centre dedicated to transforming the way the world enjoys frozen and chilled foods. In the new 144,000 square foot facility, Nestlé said that R&D Solon will balance consumer-centred […]

Nestlé opens Ohio R&D centre

research-development-26790488Nestlé has opened its new Nestlé Research & Development Center in Solon, Ohio, and marked the completion of a $50 million, two-year project to establish this global centre dedicated to transforming the way the world enjoys frozen and chilled foods. In the new 144,000 square foot facility, Nestlé said that R&D Solon will balance consumer-centred innovation with technology leadership.

While the centre’s mission is to sustain global needs, its location in Ohio reflects the growth in size and complexity of Nestlé’s frozen and chilled foods businesses in the United States, the company said, where well-known Nestlé brands lead in their various categories. That growth made an expanded and collaborative research and development effort necessary.

“Few areas of research are as complex as food research,” said Johannes Baensch, Head of Global Product & Technology Development, Nestec Ltd. “Nestlé has a long-standing reputation for excellence in research on food and nutrition and this Research Center is regarded as one of the world’s leading laboratories in food and life sciences. By creating Nestlé R&D Solon, we are transporting a significant piece of our global research expertise to the United States, our largest global market.”

“Nestlé has been dedicated to enhancing people’s lives since Henri Nestlé founded the company nearly 150 years ago. Today, we’re still focused on offering good food that provides added health benefits, fulfills the highest safety standards and offers nutritional advantages. Food also must look and taste good, and offer convenience to consumers. Our Nestlé R&D Solon team will help to improve every aspect of the frozen and chilled foods we market with this vision in mind.”

In addition to developing R&D strategy for Nestlé’s worldwide frozen and chilled foods businesses, Nestlé R&D Solon will focus on product innovation and renovation that both meet Nestlé’s Nutrition Foundation requirements and balance taste with nutrition, by exploring ways to reduce sodium and saturated fat, eliminate partially hydrogenated oils, incorporate more vegetables, and create gluten free and high-protein options. The team will also provide expert technical assistance to Nestlé production facilities around the world, as well as guidance in the important areas of nutrition, food processing, food quality, and food safety. Incorporated into the design is a pilot plant where the latest technology advancements and new recipes can be evaluated and refined for introduction into the marketplace.

“We’re experiencing one of the most profound shifts in how people eat right now. To address the ever-changing landscape, we’re striving to make our products healthier and tastier using unmatched R&D capability, nutrition science and passion for quality in everything we do,” said Paul Grimwood, Chairman and CEO of Nestlé USA. “I’m pleased that Nestlé R&D Solon will enable us to better anticipate and provide consumers with the food choices they deserve and the quality they have come to expect from Nestlé.”

The launch of Nestlé R&D Solon is a significant expansion of the company’s already strong presence in Ohio and establishes Solon as the centre of excellence for the largest frozen and chilled foods market in the world. The new center builds on a number of Nestlé businesses that either launched in Solon, such as Stouffer’s, Lean Cuisine, and Nestlé Toll House cookie doughs, or have relocated there, including Hot Pockets and Lean Pockets, DiGiorno, California Pizza Kitchen, Tombstone and Jack’s pizza brands. Over time, the company’s U.S. frozen and chilled foods businesses have consolidated to this one large campus, also home to Nestlé Professional’s Culinary Innovation Center.