Kraft has opened a new innovation centre in Switzerland to ensure its innovations in chewing gum and sugar confectionery have regional appeal, according to ConfectioneryNews.com.
The US company said that the team at its new multi-million dollar gum and confectionery R&D facility at Eysins will work closely with researchers at its gum and candy centre of excellence in New Jersey to determine how to develop gum and confectionery products and packaging that adhere to taste and other preferences of consumers throughout Europe.
Laurie Guzzinati, a spokesperson for Kraft, was quoted saying that the growing consumer demand for gum that can deliver ingredients that aid oral healthcare and hygiene as well as interesting new flavour profiles were the primary triggers for the development of the regional centre in Swizterland.
A resurgence in gum product innovation within the EU is likely given the approval last week by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) for a health claim related to sugar-free chewing gum and a reduction in tooth decay.
Guzzinati said that the Swiss R&D facility is the latest addition in Kraft’s global network of innovation centres, which now total 15 sites globally, and she added that collaboration with research institutes based in Switzerland is on the cards.
Kraft has a number of gum brands with leading positions in markets across Europe, such as Hollywood in France, Trident in Spain, Greece and Portugal, and Stimorol in Denmark and Switzerland, and has recently launched a new chewing gum brand Fresh&Clean across its European markets.
Worth USD$23 billion (NZD$30.5 billion) annually, the global gum market has grown by almost a quarter since 2005.
– Source: ConfectioneryNews.com