KENYA – Mane, one of the leading flavours and fragrances houses in the world has inaugurated its first innovation center in Nairobi, Kenya, a strategic hub that aims to provide cutting-edge taste solutions to food and beverage manufacturers in the region.

The center features two application laboratories supported by the company’s team from South Africa who will offer both consumer insights and market studies to meet consumer needs in East Africa, Ethiopia and Tanzania included.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Samantha Mane, Group Vice President and EMEA Region Director, who was also the chief guest at the opening event said the development strategically puts them in a position to improve responsiveness in providing manufacturers and consumers the most appropriate flavours for the market in a ‘pro and & reactive way to service you better’.

The event was graced by various industry players, stakeholders and potential customers from the food and beverage industry who were granted a view of the new facilities at the innovation center.

The technical laboratory will enable the company better serve customers well by providing solutions to a wide spectrum of taste challenges: from creating unique organoleptic experiences to enhancing taste perceptions or covering off-tastes.

“The offices we inaugurate today reflect the importance we place on local expertise, but above all, they testify to the trust you place in us: it is for you, but it is mainly thanks to you that we opened our Kenyan affiliate with the aim to make these offices in Nairobi a strategic hub for East Africa, from Ethiopia to Tanzania,” said Samantha.

Apart from offering technical support in the food and drinks sector, the Nairobi facilities will include and service solutions for the meat industry across East Africa.

This will be achieved through a strategic collaboration with Cape Town based Deli Spices, a leading supplier of ingredients to the general food and meat industry.

It opened its doors to East Africa early this year with a regional office in Nairobi Kenya, headed by Marvin Murphy as General Manager, Mane Kenya Ltd.

“The principle that is the strength of MANE is the first one: the expertise is local. The need for extended knowledge of local industry, manufacturing processing and consumers are essential to feed our global strategic development team to drive innovation and product development.

The markets and product offerings are very diverse between countries and regions within countries.

We realized the need to expand our local insights to support development and innovative flavours solutions for your products,” said Samantha Mane.

The company has operations in South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana and Ivory Coast where it runs commercial offices and laboratories.

In 2017, the company extended its joint venture partnership with Deli Spices by acquiring a strategic stake in the group to reinforce commitment to developing savoury solutions in meat and food industry in EMEA.

Manes Flavours Division for the EMEA region is headed by Thomas Schmitt while Robin Haller heads partner company, Deli Spices.

Mane was founded more than 145 years ago by Victor Mane in South East France, having started just as a small distillery and is said to have been on the continent for more than 70 years.

The company says it has a turnover which will reach US$1.36 billion (1.2 billion Euros) this year.

Mane has more than 70 locations in 38 countries, including 47 research and development centers and 25 production plants, with more than 5,500 professionals who cater daily to customer needs.