• Barry Callebaut opens ‘Center of Excellence’ for the development of advanced compounds and fillings in Dijon, France
• Research and development initiatives will stimulate growth in this area
• Barry Callebaut now operates three ‘Centers of Excellence’ in Europe

As part of its innovation strategy Barry Callebaut, the world’s leading manufacturer of high-quality cocoa and chocolate products, has opened a new ‘Center of Excellence’ at its factory in Dijon, France. The new ’Center of Excellence’ will focus on research into compounds and fillings and also on the development of new product applications. The ‘Center of Excellence’ in Dijon complements Barry Callebaut’s existing global ‘Centers of Excellence’ located in Wieze, Belgium (specialized in chocolate and chocolate applications) and in Louviers, France (focusing on cocoa and semi-finished products).

Barry Callebaut’s expanded research and development in compounds follows an increase in customer demand for more flexible recipes in compounds and fillings. While tasting chocolate alike, compound coatings offer greater flexibility when it comes to temperature, fat composition and production flow. Compound coatings generally have a slightly higher melting point than chocolate which can help keep products stable, especially in warmer climates. At the same time, compounds can also be used very well for low-temperature applications, such as ice-cream coatings. Ice-cream coatings need to be crisp when frozen but soft at room temperature, congealing faster and melting pleasantly in the mouth. 

Processed on a new production line, applying Barry Callebaut’s high standards, these compounds and fillings have a great chocolaty taste, texture and color but without the need for temperature-critical tempering or pre-crystallization. 

“Overcoming the constraints of climate, storage and other technical limitations of chocolate, Barry Callebaut’s compound coating technology opens the door to a whole host of new applications, offering value-added solutions for a broad range of customers in the food and beverage industry”, says Hans Vriens, Barry Callebaut’s Chief Innovation Officer. “We see a great market potential for compound coatings and fillings in the fast-growing Mediterranean region. Dijon is ideally located to give us easy access to customers in this region.”

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Barry Callebaut

With annual sales of more than CHF 4 billion for fiscal year 2006/07, Zurich-based Barry Callebaut is the world’s leading manufacturer of high-quality cocoa and chocolate products – from the cocoa bean to the finished product on the store shelf. Barry Callebaut is present in 25 countries, operates about 40 production facilities and employs approximately 7,500 people. The company serves the entire food industry, from food manufacturers to professional users of chocolate (such as chocolatiers, pastry chefs or bakers), to global retailers. It also provides a comprehensive range of services in the fields of product development, processing, training and marketing.