NEW DELHI, INDIA – DuPont Nutrition & Health has opened an innovation application center in Gurgaon, India, the company said March 18. The center should employ 15 to 20 people by the end of the year, and it has capabilities to expand.

“According to industry estimates, the food industry in India is growing between 15 and 20% annually,” said Matthias Heinzel, president of DuPont Nutrition & Health.  “We recognize that while the science of food is global, the taste and flavors of food are local. As we develop those local solutions, we need to be able to work closely with our local customers on foods they are developing for their consumers. This Innovation Application Center provides that access and a place for us to share our innovation and expertise, to showcase what we can offer and to help our customers save valuable time in developing novel solutions for the market.”

The center will allow DuPont to introduce formulations that are more convenient and affordable for more choices for the food industry, said Brian Jones, regional leader for DuPont Nutrition & Health, South Asia. He gave the examples of increasing the shelf life of products in hotter climates where cold chain technology is not available and working with Indian companies to develop probiotics for gut and immune health.

“The DuPont offering in India cuts across the landscape of food, from flour-based products to dairy to nutritional beverages and powders,” he said. “Among the focus areas of the Innovation Application Center will be protective cultures for dahi and yogurt, soy protein products, ice-cream and more nutritious, Indian snacks and biscuits tailored to meet the regional taste and texture expectations.”

DuPont Nutrition & Health also has an existing blending facility for specialty ingredients in Sohna, Haryana, in India.