Research, Development & Innovation
Think of the Agropur’s research, development and innovation (RD&I) team as an extension of your own team.
Our innovation. Your success.
Count on the knowledge and experience of Agropur’s innovation teams for products that meet your precise needs. Whether you are purchasing our award-winning cheese or high-quality dairy ingredients, we will work as your partner from ideation through commercialization.
About RD&I
Collaborate with Agropur’s Research, Development & Innovation (RD&I) experts when you are ready to devise and deliver your next great product to the marketplace. Our dedicated food scientists and technologists bring knowledge, skill and creativity to every step of the process from initial research, through testing and finally into your customers’ hands. Through expert solutions and innovative dairy ingredients, our teams have helped launch successful products for businesses of all sizes from ambitious start-up companies to well-established, multi-national consumer brands.
We innovate with your success as the key goal.
Cheese Technical Services
It is crucial to stand out in a crowded marketplace, and Agropur’s cheese innovators can help you create a signature recipe you can call your own. Our Cheese Technical Services department collaborates closely with customers to create custom products that meet precise specifications for flavor, color, texture and functionality.
The team also provides technical support for our cheese manufacturing operations in seven facilities across the US. We collaborate with cross-functional teams to increase operational efficiency and promote value-added margin projects.
Our innovators conduct customer-driven research and development, such as new product formulation development and line extension support. The team also provides product evaluations including cheese grading and product application testing.
Our product development process includes lab testing, sensory analysis and pilot plant production to ensure our customers receive the product they envisioned. Our facilities include pilot plants in Luxemburg and Weyauwega, WI and a lab and test kitchen in Appleton, WI.
Protein Research Center
Agropur scientists continue to expand the boundaries of dairy ingredients that harness the rich nutrition and high functionality of milk and cheese whey. Our Protein Research Center (PRC) in Le Sueur, MN, showcases our technical expertise in analyzing, purifying and commercializing innovative dairy ingredients to help food manufacturers develop new and healthy, dairy-based products.
The PRC houses state-of-the-art analytical equipment, and a complete pilot plant that can mimic commercial unit operations used in whey processing.
Food scientists and technologists based at our PRC play a critical role in the commercialization of new ingredients, relying on decades of research experience and a deep understanding of dairy process technology. We develop and validate analytical testing methods for reliable and consistent identification of highly purified whey-derived components. Our benchtop and pilot plant equipment allow the team to develop and optimize process technologies for manufacturing new innovative ingredients.
Protein Applications Center
Creating new and innovative product prototypes requires more than knowledge and experience. It also takes creativity, patience and a knack for problem solving. The product development scientists at Agropur’s Protein Applications Center (PAC), in Eden Prairie, MN, work closely with the PRC to understand and highlight the functional characteristics of Agropur’s dairy ingredients. The Eden Prairie team uses their inventive talents and scientific understanding of nutrition to create exciting new whey protein applications.
Our food scientists work closely with customers to identify specific needs, diagnose product development challenges and assist in successful product launches. Our product development expertise is extended to global customers through regional collaboration centers. The PAC also works closely with academic scientists around the world and supports research through knowledge transfer and ingredient samples.
Agropur Customer Center - Mexico
Creating successful products for our international customers requires effective communication and a firm understanding of the market. The Agropur Customer Center (ACC) in Querétaro, Mexico provides a new level of ease and convenience to Latin American food and beverage manufacturers.
Our Latin American team members work closely with food scientists in the United States, but also recognize the tastes, textures and cultural considerations crucial to your product’s success. Our local team also collaborates with our customers in their native languages to better facilitate product development. We partner with dairy research teams in Argentina, Brazil and Mexico, which allows us to better support customers with specific projects.
The customer center is Agropur’s latest RD&I outreach facility. It includes a conference room, open workspace for our guests as well as a lab and kitchen to support ideation and prototype presentations.
