FrieslandCampina Ingredients opens New Jersey Application Center to speed protein innovation

FrieslandCampina Ingredients has opened a new application center in New Jersey to support faster development of protein and prebiotic products for customers across North America.

• FrieslandCampina Ingredients opened a new application center in New Jersey to strengthen its North American R&D and technical support capabilities.
• The facility targeted product development in high-growth categories including ready-to-drink beverages, ready-to-mix beverages, protein bars and functional snacks.
• The center formed part of a wider global application network, following the opening of a new FrieslandCampina Ingredients facility in Singapore last year.

Located within the company’s North America sales office in Paramus, the facility has been designed to bring formulation, testing and troubleshooting support closer to regional customers. FrieslandCampina Ingredients described the center as an extension of its Global Innovation Center in Wageningen, the Netherlands, which serves as its central research and innovation hub.

The company reported that the opening formed part of a wider strategy to expand its application capabilities through five new regional centers worldwide. Its Singapore application center opened last year.

The New Jersey facility has been built to support categories where protein and prebiotic claims are gaining commercial importance, including RTD and RTM beverages, protein bars and functional snacks. According to the company, 40% of US consumers identified high-protein claims as a key purchase driver when dining out or buying groceries, while eight in 10 Americans prioritized protein during at least one meal or snack each day.

FrieslandCampina Ingredients reported that the application center would allow customers to refine products on site, test formulations under real-world processing conditions and reduce development timelines. Equipment at the facility includes a homogenizer and food-grade autoclave, alongside analytical tools intended to assess product performance more precisely before commercialization.

“This application center is more than a new facility; it is a strategic investment in how we support our customers in North America,” said Auke Zeilstra, Regional Sales Director of FrieslandCampina Ingredients North America. “With our enhanced innovation capabilities, we’ve now got the ability to work even closer with customers to solve formulation challenges and bring products to life, faster. This investment, coupled with recent acquisitions in the region, strengthens both our on-the-ground application support and ingredient supply capabilities. And with this, we can respond even more quickly to evolving consumer trends, helping customers turn ideas into products that are ready to succeed.”