MOUNT PROSPECT, ILL. — Mizkan Americas plans to open a new research and development facility in Lake Alfred, Fla. The nearly 2,000-square-foot facility will include a lab area that will offer specific capabilities, including pilot scale manufacturing of wine reductions, cooking wines, specialty vinegars, denatured spirits and a broader variety of product formulation and blending.

Esmond Joseph will manage the facility. He has a doctorate degree in food science from Louisiana State University and has more than 25 years of experience in research and development within the food industry. He previously worked for Best Foods/Unilever, McNeil Specialty Products, Campbell Soup, Cargill and Morgan Foods.

The R.&D. facility will be housed within the company’s manufacturing plant in Lake Alfred. The plant produces vinegars, cooking wines, salted spirits, non-alcoholic mixers and wine reductions that support the food ingredient, food service and retail sales business units of Mizkan Americas, a subsidiary of Mizkan Group and based in Mount Prospect.