Expansion of Our Fod Technical Center in Tokyo

La Madeleine (France), 7 May 2018 – Roquette, a global leader in plant-based ingredients for Food, Nutrition and Health markets, announces today the expansion of its Food Customer Technical Service Center (CTS) in Tokyo to respond to a local increasing demand in personalized nutrition, with ingredients such as plant-based proteins, fibers and healthy carbohydrates.

The expansion of the facility has increased its size by 50%, and it now includes new pilot-scale capabilities that will enable Roquette food application experts to bring value to Japanese and Asian customers in specialized nutrition (baby food, maternal nutrition, sports nutrition, weight management, senior and clinical nutrition), dairy as well as beverages. The company sees the Japanese market as a pioneer market for trends that are expected to grow worldwide.

Roquette has developed a growing presence in Japan since 2002. Its CTS in Tokyo has been serving and supporting the company’s customers since 2007 thanks to its expertise in baking (texturing and sugar-free solutions), and savory (texturing solutions, batter and coating solutions, plant-based proteins). In addition, this CTS is the center of excellence for noodle application, supported by a strong expertise and a set of solid technologies.

This development is fully in line with the company’s strategy to be closer to its customers locally and is set to meet Asia’s strong and growing demand for tailored nutrition products. It addresses strong underlying consumer trends in the region, driven by healthier lifestyles, sustainability concerns and rising life expectancy. Some of these trends include:

• Increased awareness and demand for plant-based protein.
• Higher interest in sports nutrition.
• Demand for elder care or geriatric nutrition.

The Tokyo Food CTS is part of a global network that includes several facilities in Asia (China, India, Japan). This network should soon be reinforced with the upcoming creation of a new Food CTS center in Singapore later this year.

Jean-Marc Gilson, Roquette’s CEO stated: “The expansion of our Tokyo CTS is a strategic move for Roquette in several ways. It is part of our ambition to serve our clients locally, with a network of experts delivering tailored solutions to specific needs. It also reinforces the company’s presence in Asia, which is a major region for us, offering significant development opportunities. Last but not least, this expansion will strengthen our capabilities to offer ever more specialized nutrition solutions addressing local and regional Nutrition and Health challenges. I am particularly proud of this achievement, and I hope that this expansion will enable even closer collaboration between Roquette and its Asian customers and partners.”

This new milestone reaffirms Roquette’s commitment to offering plant-based ingredients that meet specific consumer expectations and needs, according to their lifestyle choices, their age, where they live and what they do.