Chr. Hansen Natural Colors unveils expanded and completely renovated R&D facilities in Montpellier, France

The new facilities in Montpellier are part of a long-term investment strategy to focus on innovative and natural solutions that enable manufacturers to meet consumers’ growing awareness and demand for natural and easy-to understand ingredients.

Ramping up pigment, formulation and application capabilities to keep pioneering the natural colors industry

(PRESS RELEASE) HOERSHOLM, 29-Oct-2020 — /EuropaWire/ — Chr. Hansen Natural Colors shows a clear ambition to remain a leading supplier of natural color solutions as the demand for natural colors continues to grow globally. Unveiling the expanded and completely renovated R&D facilities in Montpellier, France, will undoubtedly strengthen its possibilities to develop innovative and natural solutions in close collaboration with customers. Chr. Hansen is expected to sell its Natural Colors business to EQT – subject to regulatory clearance.

“We are ramping up our R&D capabilities in pigment, formulation and application expertise. Also, we are accelerating our breeding programs and new technologies to secure sustainable and high-quality natural sources,” states Luc Ganivet, vice president, head of innovation and application. “More stable formulations and even new colors like blue and green will now be within our reach. This new center will be a magnet to the brightest talents in the industry and will help us to remain a leading force. Montpellier lies in the heart of an exciting food science hub, with several universities and institutions renowned for their profound scientific expertise,” adds Ganivet.

Follow this link for a sneak peek of the modern R&D center.

Relentless drive for innovation and developing differentiated technical solutions
Chr. Hansen Natural Colors will be even better equipped to use its world-class technical expertise and relentless drive for innovation to meet the challenges of conversion and cost optimization. Also, the ambition to bring several new and unique products to customers remains stronger than ever. Over the past five years, five to ten new products have seen the light of day annually as well as a steady stream of customization projects for which Chr. Hansen Natural Colors is renowned in the industry. Groundbreaking innovations, such as the minimally processed red Hansen sweet potato^™ that won the European FI Innovation Award for Natural & Clean Label and the American IFT Innovation Award last year, will continue to evolve from the expertise center in Montpellier.

A strong legacy of pioneering the global natural colors industry
“With the R&D center we are cementing our leading position and will be even better equipped to develop differentiated technical solutions that meet the challenges of our customers,” states Klaus Bjerrum, executive vice president. “A key objective for us is to secure knowledge sharing and alignment across our global organization so that we can offer customers the same high level of expertise wherever they are located.”

The skills and competencies gathered at the new center will allow Chr. Hansen Natural Colors to balance short and long term innovation needs as the company anchors numerous teams in Montpellier with expertise in raw materials, extraction and pigments, breeding, formulation and biotechnologies.

“We are proud to be the partner of choice for so many food and beverage manufacturers. We highly value their trust and we will continue to earn the right to be their chosen partner. When travel policies allow again, we are excited to welcome customers and academic partners and jointly accelerate colorful, natural innovations for modern health conscious consumers,” Bjerrum concludes.

About Chr. Hansen Natural Colors
The world leader, Chr. Hansen Natural Colors helps manufacturers bring safe and appetizing products to consumers at mealtimes – and any time in between. Our deep insights about markets, regulatory requirements, applications, pigments and phytonutrients place us at the forefront of the industry. Our color portfolio is the largest and most vibrant in the food industry, and our nutraceutical range has scientifically supported health benefits. We are part of Chr. Hansen Holding, known for our sustainability profile and our natural ingredient solutions for the food, nutritional, pharmaceutical and agricultural industries. Listed on Nasdaq Copenhagen, we employ over 3,000 people in 30 countries.

Chr. Hansen is a global, differentiated bioscience company that develops natural ingredient solutions for the food, nutritional, pharmaceutical and agricultural industries. At Chr. Hansen we are uniquely positioned to drive positive change through microbial solutions. We have worked for over 145 years to enable sustainable agriculture, cleaner labels and healthier living for more people around the world. Our microbial and fermentation technology platforms, including our broad and relevant collection of around 40,000 microbial strains, have game-changing potential. Matching customer needs and global trends we continue to unlock the power of good bacteria to respond to global challenges such as food waste, global health and the overuse of antibiotics and pesticides. As the world’s most sustainable food ingredients company, we touch the lives of more than 1 billion people every day. Driven by our legacy of innovation and curiosity to pioneer science, our purpose – To grow a better world. Naturally. – is at the heart of everything we do.

Media contacts:

Camilla Lercke
Head of Media Relations
Corporate Communications
Hoersholm , Denmark
Phone: +45 53 39 23 84
Mobile: +45 53 39 23 84

SOURCE: Chr. Hansen Holding A/S