The centre combines Bühler’s proven expertise in roasting and grinding cocoa and coffee beans and processing malt and nuts to create innovative flavours and future-fit products.
With cutting-edge infrastructure and an integrated network of Application and Training Centers, customers can develop new recipes and test new processes under one roof.
The Flavor Creation Center, which has been processing coffee since 2013 and cocoa and nuts since 2022, has been upgraded and refurbished, and is now up and running as part of Bühler’s innovation hub in Uzwil, Switzerland.
The center showcases Bühler’s proven expertise in product innovation, technology and process validation, process optimisation, and training and education.
In partnership with the other Application and Training Centers, customers have the unique opportunity to consider new and different technologies along the value chain to find the best possible solution for their application, from the raw material to the finished product.
“The Flavor Creation Center is the perfect place to process cocoa beans to cocoa mass, cocoa powder and butter, to roast coffee to perfect flavour;and to process nuts to pastes,” says Skeljzen Nesimi (pictured), Head of Product Management and MarCom, Chocolate and Coffee at Bühler.
The processing, roasting and grinding of cocoa beans, nuts and coffee is now combined in one location to create innovative flavours and high-quality products.
The technological solutions available for cocoa include cleaning, deshelling, alkalising and roasting (batch and continuous roasting), and result in high-quality cocoa mass, cocoa butter and cocoa powder.
Innovation playground
“Customers can try new flavour, roasting, or new grinding profiles for their products,” says Skeljzen Nesimi.
With a cutting-edge infrastructure available, customers can develop new recipes, try new processes, test different machine settings and configurations, compare different technologies and analyse the influence of raw materials on finished products.”
More recently, start-ups and some established producers are rethinking conventional products and experimenting with alternative raw materials, such as barley, carob and oats to create bean-free chocolate and coffee.
Bühler helps these companies to find the right process and equipment, and to develop recipes.
“By combining our know-how and infrastructure with the scientific knowledge of our academia partners, we can support our customers in achieve tangible results, accelerate change and design the future of food,” says Skeljzen Nesimi.