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

The new lab will be utilized for a wide variety of products, including baked goods, malt and oat-based beverages, creamers, nut butters, chocolates, confections, dressings and marinades, yogurts, as well as further the company’s push into the plant-based proteins sector.

Located in the company’s Minneapolis office, the lab incorporates a variety of equipment including ovens, mixers, shearers, proofers and temperature-controlled incubators, as well as analytical equipment such as spectrometers and instruments monitoring water activity and rheology. It collaborates with MPC’s main manufacturing facility in Dayton, Ohio to help customers transition from development to production.

The lab is a combination analytical zone and kitchen for product development and testing, sensory evaluation and shelf life testing, allowing food and beverage companies to branch out into new ingredients and flavoring possibilities. It also features office space for meetings, problem solving and interactive product and business development.

“As more food and beverage companies look to revamp their products using all-natural ingredients, the new Innovation Lab provides a hub for formulation experimentation, testing the viability of various ingredients regarding flavor, binding, shelf life and other critical factors,” says Amy Targan, president of Malt Products Corp. “We want to make it as easy as possible to prototype new products with healthier, pantry-friendly ingredients, and for our customers to understand these products’ mission-critical characteristics.”