Kalsec®, a global producer of natural spice and herb extracts, colors, food protection and hop extracts for the food and beverage industry, celebrated the opening of its newest facility with a dedication ceremony on Thursday, July 22, 2021. The Don Berdahl Center for New Technology is named in honor of Dr. Don Berdahl, who retired as the company’s chief technical officer in 2019. Kalsec has invested over $10 million in the project, which will support deeper collaboration with its customers to deliver on consumer demands for natural and sustainable foods and beverages.
The new 6,500 sq. ft. technology center is staffed with a variety of resident scientists and visiting product developers to explore and test groundbreaking opportunities in green technology, biotransformation and natural ingredient production. This unique facility also enables new product discovery, advanced application testing and process engineering advancements.
“Kalsec is proud to expand our innovation ecosystem with the Don Berdahl Center for New Technology,” said Dr. Roger Nahas, senior vice president of global research & development. “This facility enables our internationally diverse team of scientists from multiple disciplines to develop more breakthrough natural solutions for the food industry at an even faster rate.”
Don Berdahl, Ph.D., joined Kalsec in 1994. His most recent role was executive vice president of research strategy and chief technical officer, where he focused on building Kalsec’s research strategy through business acquisitions and new technology. Berdahl is an inventor of numerous patents and led the commercialization efforts of various technologies at Kalsec, including rosemary extract for extending the shelf-life of ground meat, zeaxanthin for eye health from orange paprika, and advanced hops products for the brewing industry, to name a few.
“This new technology center is instrumental to Kalsec’s long-term growth strategy,” said Dr. Scott Nykaza, Kalsec’s chief executive officer. “We are honored to dedicate the space to Don’s legacy, which has made such a significant impact on our people, our purpose and our potential.”
Kalsec is planning an open house at the Don Berdahl Center for New Technology at a later date. Employees and guests will be welcome to visit at that time.
