THE NETHERLANDS – Ingredient producer DSM has announced that it is to build a new 12 million euro laboratory in Delft for its food specialities and bakery ingredients groups.

The laboratory will bring together application specialists and product developers who have until now been working at different laboratories across the Netherlands. DSM hopes that the new premises, due to be completed in late 2003, will improve efficiency.

Staff at the laboratory will focus on application-based research into ingredients to improve flavour, texture, nutritional value and shelf-life.

The food specialities division produces ingredients for the food, beverage and feed industries. The bakery ingredients group provides the baking industry with yeasts, bread improvers and enzymes.

The new building will support DSMs network of food application centres across the world. Existing laboratories in the Netherlands will continue to house other DSM research staff.
The news follows DSM’s announcement in December that it had found the DNA sequence for genome. This will eventually be used across a range of fermentation-based production processes.

In 2000, DSM had annual sales of 8.1 billion euro at over 200 sites worldwide.