New facility helps food and beverage (F&B) powder producers validate powder-formulated products and processes at an industrial scale Tetra Pak has officially opened its new Product Development Centre (PDC) for Powder…

New facility helps food and beverage (F&B) powder producers validate powder-formulated products and processes at an industrial scale

Tetra Pak has officially opened its new Product Development Centre (PDC) for Powder Process and Technology in Cholet, France, designed to accelerate innovation and optimise processes for powder-formulated products.

At 340m², the new powder PDC features a fully equipped pilot plant with modular production lines and the latest powder-handling technologies. It also includes a dedicated testing laboratory to ensure quality, compliance and optimisation. Together, these facilities enable food and beverage powder producers to:

Validate recipes and processes before industrial roll-out, reducing the risk of costly errors and enhancing product quality.

Cut development costs and product loss, while increasing yield and accelerating time-to-market.

Trial sensitive or high-value ingredients under near-identical conditions to full-scale production, minimising waste and preventing costly downtime.

Meet sustainability targets through more efficient, resource-conscious processing methods.

From raw material characterisation and formulation through to pilot-scale simulation and industrial scale-up, the facility supports manufacturers across the full innovation cycle, from prototype to shelf. With a library of more than 6,000 powder samples and specialist testing instruments, the laboratory supports in-depth evaluation of powder properties and behaviours across applications, ranging from dairy and beverages to ice cream, whey protein and functional nutrition.

The pilot plants’ modular set-up means trials can be configured to each customer’s specific requirements, offering flexibility and agility. This not only accelerates industrial roll-out but also minimises downtime and product waste. To extend access, every trial can also be followed remotely via high-definition livestreaming with real-time interaction and detailed post-trial reporting. Customers receive recordings, technical data and product samples wherever they are in the world.

The PDC also showcases the latest powder-handling technologies, including the Tetra Pak Air Jet Cleaning System for Powder, which improves cleaning efficiency and ensures optimal use of costly ingredients and Tetra Pak Production Control Ignition User Interface, a single, scalable user interface to simplify production control and drive operational responsiveness. These innovations, combined with deep powder processing expertise and flexible infrastructure, allow the PDC to support faster, more confident product development.