DuPont Nutrition & Health announced a substantial investment in a laboratory that serves the North American cheese industry. In addition to expanded physical space at the Kansas City metro-area lab, new equipment has been installed, including three bio fermenters to simulate external pH control starter production, an incubator for growing cultures, a cheese vat for making cheese and two environmental cabinets for aging cheese.

Previously, testing at the facility was limited to a lab environment. With these upgrades, the facility is now equipped to test cultures in real world environments, as well as to manufacture and age cheese.

“This expansion of our research and development capabilities brings us closer than ever to our customers and enables us to innovate in collaboration with them,” said Roald Mason, director of Dairy Sales, North America. “These improvements not only allow us to optimize our current cultures offerings and tailor them to our individual customers, but also equip us to develop new retail and finished products.”

DuPont also has added two professionals to its cheese industry innovation team who have more than 35 years of combined experience in the cheese industry. Brian Bartholomew joined the cheese innovation team as senior applications specialist and James Musetti joined in the application technologist role.

DuPont Nutrition & Health has a long history of serving the cheese and dairy industry. The company serves customers in all corners of the cheese industry – whether fresh, aged or processed, from soft cheese to hard cheese, and from soft-ripened to washed-rind. The DuPont Danisco portfolio offering to the industry includes cultures, enzymes and tailored ingredient systems.

For more information, visit www.food.dupont.com.