SWITZERLAND – Firmenich, a privately-owned perfume and taste company, has announced the opening of its new biotechnology and naturals pilot plant and laboratory, integrated into its production site at La Plaine, Geneva.
This comes days after it announced that it has created the first ever flavor by Artificial Intelligence (AI), a delicious lightly grilled beef taste for use in plant-based meat alternatives and a key milestone in Firmenich’s digital transformation across its value chain.
“With our new biotechnology pilot plant closely connected with the ingredients production site, Firmenich provides integrated biotech development all the way down to the finished product, without any gaps,” said Genevieve Berger, Chief Research Officer, Firmenich.
“Opening a new era in ingredients creation, our pilot plant and laboratory harnesses new technologies to improve clean label solutions, while the latest digital innovation maximizes efficiency.”
“With our new biotechnology pilot plant closely connected with the ingredients production site, Firmenich provides integrated biotech development all the way down to the finished product, without any gaps,”
Genevieve Berger – Chief Research Officer, Firmenich
The facility opens a new era for the development of ingredients and clean label solutions by providing faster speed-to-market and greater flexibility for customer collaboration.
Integrated into the Group’s flagship ingredients production site at La Plaine, Geneva, the facility operates to the highest safety and environmental standards, reducing waste and energy consumption.
“Our new pilot plant provides greater flexibility to respond to customer needs in product development,” said Sarah Reisinger, Senior Vice President Research Operations, Firmenich.
“Capable of handling multiple projects simultaneously, it also enables small scale production of trial batches for formulation or testing and regulatory validation.”
Operational this month, the pilot plant is a cornerstone for new ingredients for both perfumery and flavors, enabling the development of the most efficient and high-quality production processes through biotechnology or natural extraction.
Harnessing digital technology for increased automation, the pilot plant is able to move from single to continuous batch process, increasing efficiency, speed and reducing the use of raw materials.
In keeping with Firmenich’s recognized track record in sustainability, it says that the new pilot plant benefits from efficient bioreactors, which minimizes both the amount of waste produced and energy consumed.
The new facility will benefit from full synergies with the ingredients production plant. State of the art safety and environmental features were also designed into the new pilot plant and laboratory.
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