Pilot plant trials will accelerate time to market, reduce investment risk, and help producers deliver high-quality, competitive fermentation-derived products 

Tetra Pak® New Food Technology Development Centre has opened in Karlshamn, Sweden, ready to help producers of biomass and precision fermentation-derived food products develop their technical processes, define efficient equipment needs, and minimise investment risk. With tailored support from experts, producers can take their New Food from prototype to commercial-scale production.  

Forming part of the product development ecosystem offered by Tetra Pak, the New Food pilot plant helps customers of all sizes, from start-ups and scale-ups developing their hero products to established food and beverage companies exploring new food categories.   

As investment in the New Food sector becomes harder to secure, commercial viability is more crucial than ever. Drawing on extensive expertise in equipment solutions and product formulation, adapted to the specific needs of new food producers, the new Technology Development Centre helps to overcome the challenges associated with scaling up and accelerate the path to profitability. Whether using fermentation to create functional ingredients or formulating for a direct end-use, such as meat and fish substitute products, experts at Tetra Pak® New Food Technology Development Centre can support food producers in their development goals.  

A staff of highly skilled biotech and food technologists, lab technicians, and line solution experts collaborate with food producers to design, run, and analyse trials customised to their unique microorganism strain features and desired production outcomes. This results in tailored, more efficient processes and production line designs that reduce costs and increase potential profits. 

The official inauguration was held on 13 June, when the ribbon was cut by the Executive Vice President for Processing Solutions & Equipment at Tetra Pak, Charles Brand. Attendees toured the facility, tasted the products already in development, and learned more about the centre’s capabilities. 

Food producers working with the centre’s experts can benefit from two programmes designed to act as a testing framework or select individual tests for a customised experience. The process evaluation programme is aimed at companies ready to move from lab-scale production to demo scale or seeking more efficient methods for large-scale production. The productivity validation programme supports companies with established production processes looking for validation and improvement of their process performance. 

The centre’s adaptable, modular setup allows customers to configure customised production lines, reducing both capital expenditure and operational costs. Unlike complex biomanufacturing systems, these solutions are designed to be fit-for-food production: efficient, optimally sized, and scalable. 

By testing both upstream and downstream processes, producers can develop flexible, future-ready setups that grow with their business. For example, by doing a direct comparison of different technologies for harvest, customers can find the best fit balancing price, product performance, and running costs. 

Through the Technology Development Centre, food producers can also collaborate with other Tetra Pak product development facilities in Lund to achieve desired food properties and functionalities, trial different final product formulations, and develop brand or product identity to create an effective go-to-market strategy. This close collaboration can speed up time to market and improve process efficiencies. 

Charles Brand, Executive Vice President for Processing Solutions & Equipment at Tetra Pak, comments: “At a time when others in the industry are scaling back, we are moving forward, and the Tetra Pak® New Food Technology Development Centre represents our most significant commitment to fermentation-derived foods yet. We believe in the need to develop New Food sources to feed a growing population, but we understand that scaling New Food products is a step into the unknown. That’s exactly where our strengths lie. 

“We know food. We know equipment. Start-ups are struggling with translating production to food-scale, and we know how to do that, using our extensive food production experience and development centre network to support our customers in up-scaling from prototypes to production lines. New Food innovation shouldn’t be viewed as aspirational, it’s about delivering practical solutions that can put food on shelves around the world, today.”  

About Tetra Pak

Tetra Pak is a world-leading food processing and packaging solutions company. Working with our customers and suppliers, we provide access to safe, nutritious food for hundreds of millions of people in more than 160 countries every day. 

With over 24,000 employees worldwide, we commit to making food safe and available, everywhere, and we promise to protect what’s good: food, people and the planet.  

More information about Tetra Pak is available at www.tetrapak.com.