Swiss flavour house builds Southeast Asian presence
Firmenich has invested an initial US$25 million in the facility, dedicated to its encapsulation technology, Durarome, that will be commissioned in December 2012 and commence operations in the first quarter of 2013.
Jp Lebudel, vice president, global Durarome Supply Chain at Firmenich, told FoodNavigator-Asia that Indonesia is a strategic market and business hub for the company, as it offers a central location to serve the local market and the rest of Southeast Asia.
“Southeast Asia is a region with high growth and fantastic diversity in terms of cuisine and taste to which we need to bring our local innovation capabilities. We need to be closer to our clients and their consumers in order to partner in bringing this innovation to life,” Lebudel said.
Southeast Asian needs
“We have identified the need for products with a long shelf-life, delivering freshness and withstanding the rigors of manufacturing and distribution in hot and humid climates,” he explained.
The facility is a response to client demands for increased and faster access to our flavour encapsulation technology, Durarome, Lebudel said, which is highly sought after for soft-drink applications.
Initially, the production plant will be dedicated to this technology, but “in time, will produce a range of flavour technologies to satisfy the needs of Southeast Asian customers.”
Lebudel explained that it is an “extrusion technology that allows us to guarantee flavour freshness over time,” it is well suited for applications where consumers want fresh and authentic flavour profiles or when producers want to limit cross contamination or increase shelf life.
Market knowledge
The company has had a presence in Indonesia since 1994, but this new manufacturing facility is a move by the company to deepen its understanding of this regional market.
“We recently reached a new phase of growth in this country requiring enhanced manufacturing capabilities in order to meet the growing needs of our clients in efficient, fast and tailored ways,” Lebudel said.
The company has presence in 15 countries throughout Asia Pacific, with 8 manufacturing sites and an R&D centre, the facility in Indonesia will mark its ninth manufacturing facility in the region.
