Beyond the mixing of flavours, the food industry is evolving to serve an ever-increasing demand, from discerning palates who are simply bored of eating the same thing.Customers wanting something tasty, healthy and environmentally friendly is a challenge for innovation and development services.
To this end, companies like Alpina allocate significant resources to meet the nutritional needs of their customers and update their wallets. In 2021 alone, it invested 47,983 million pesos in science, technology and innovation.
“This investment manifests itself not only in product launches, but also in the efficiency of our processes, the adoption of new technologies and research projects with collaborators and communities in Colombia”, says Oscar Emir Rincon, Director innovation at Alpina. He announces that this year they “will continue to invest in science applied to products and processes to improve the tastes and experiences of our consumers”.
Rincon is an industrial engineer with a master’s degree in logistics production and is part of Research Group and R&D&I Unit of Alpana (Research, Development and Innovation). In total, there are 476 people, including 83 scientists and 4 PhDs. in engineering and technology; industrial biotechnology; and natural and biological sciences. It is clear that 47% are women, a trend that is starting to break plans in the country.
“We are constantly striving to talk about, understand and make people love delicious, nutritious and sustainable products every moment they are consumed. This is and will be part of our DNA, because we have decided to offer such products. have spent 77 years generating the mystery that lies within Alpina’s products. All of this is possible with a clear business strategy that allows us to focus on product, process and business model innovation,” explained the Chief Innovation Officer.
commitment to food
The company started 2022 with several product launches to bolster its portfolio of over 50 brands. Excels in its combination nutrition yokes with Mentalis, A drink with vitamins B5, B12, choline and probiotics that contribute to mental performance, a product created by the scientific team and developed and produced for approximately 18 months.
Likewise, they launched “Pera Cheese”, a development that takes more than two years, including a production process and consumer tests, to arrive at the final product. And they also introduced bottled oatmeal, which is new to packaging. Asset (takeout) for one of the most memorable products.
Engineer Rincon announced that In a few months, they will introduce new spray technology to Sopo. “This plant will not only allow us to bet on the development of the Colombian countryside, but it will also pave the way for powdered product platforms to continue our path of innovation with delicious, nutritious and quality foods for consumers. ”
Innovation not only affects consumers, but also other actors involved in the production chain. This is the case of the Plant Origin sector, in which they have developed a technology that allows them to constitute a “base” with inputs from National Agriculture. Specifically, they work with cashew nuts produced by Vichada farmers. “With them, we are able to start a new path of growth,” says Rincon. In its concept, innovation, the benefits of science and technology are the pillars of the country’s economic and social development.
And they are not alone, the team of climbers and innovation seeks to generate knowledge through strategic partners such as the Ministry of Science, INNPulsa, universities (San Antonio Technologies ICESI, Wageningen University and Research, Fundación Universitaria Jorge Tadeo Lozano and Fundación Agrarian University, Colombia), Chamber of Commerce of Bogota, Andy and 17 startups (Rappi, EasyCar and the 1 in 1 project stand out).
Chief Innovation Officer, Alpana says the benefits of innovation, science and technology are the pillars of the country’s economic and social development. Likewise, this business has enabled them to become a leading company in the food industry in the country.