A supplier of bulk tropical fruit juice purees and concentrates, iTi Tropicals has opened a new Innovation Center to support customer product development efforts. 

Officials say the newly expanded technical and product innovation facilities at iTi’s Lawrenceville, N.J., office will support growing the growing popularity of coconut water and coconut cream. In particular, coconut water’s low starting brix, relative bland flavor and neutral color make it an ideal blending juice in 100% juice products with reduced calories.

The new Innovation Center has bench capacity for three product development scientists. Officials say the new facility frees-up space in the sample kitchen and makes it easier to provide product samples on a timely basis. Segregating the Innovation Center also provides more privacy for visiting customer scientists to work, side by side, with iTi technical staff.

“iTi takes pride in these important activities, which support, research and highlight the many new ways that tropical fruit ingredients bring the excitement of exotic fruits to new products,” says Gert van Manen, iTi Tropicals president.

iTi Tropicals invites food and beverage manufacturers to visit the Innovation Center for hands-on product and applications demonstrations. Clients can work side-by-side with R&D specialists to create prototypes using client-developed formulations or iTi Tropicals’ prototype formulas.—iTi Tropicals Inc., www.ititropicals.com