Malt Products Corporation (MPC), a Saddle Brook, N.J., manufacturer of malted barley extract and other natural, nutritious sweeteners, has opened an Innovations Lab in Minneapolis to help its food and beverage industry customers test ingredients, experiment with new formulations and gain insight into critical flavor and stability properties. 

Malted barley extract has become an increasingly attractive option for food and beverage manufacturers when compared with standard sugars or artificial substitutes.

“We had an exciting year with the launch of our new business unit, The Annex by Ardent Mills (The Annex),” notes says Shrene White, general manager of The Annex. “Introducing The Annex at the year’s industry events provided great opportunities to showcase new ideas for using specialty grains and innovative formats, like crisps or puffed grains and individually quick frozen (IQF) grains.

The development is for new products at the company's Lawrenceburg, Ind., facility.