Kraft Foods: opens new R+D Centre in Europe

Zurich / CH. (kf) Some days ago, Kraft Foods Inc. held an «opening ceremony» to inaugurate the recently-completed European Kraft Foods Gum and Candy Research + Development (R+D) Centre in Eysins, Switzerland. The state-of-the-art facility will focus on innovation and new product development for many of Europe´s – and the world´s – most beloved confectionery brands, The opening event is the culmination of a two-year project, with a total investment of more than 14 million EUR (10,4 million EUR) in the Centre.

Worth 23 billion USD annually, the global gum market has grown by almost a quarter since 2005, and is one of the fastest-growing categories within confectionery. Kraft Foods, has a number of gum brands with leading positions in markets across Europe, such as Hollywood in France, Trident in Spain, Greece and Portugal, and Stimorol in Denmark and Switzerland.

The Centre will be home to a team of talented, product and package developers and quality experts who are responsible for breakthrough gum and candy innovation. Many of those based in Eysins have played leading roles in the creation of delicious, exciting new products and packaging innovations that have driven our European gum and candy business into the market-leading positions we hold today.

As the European Centre for innovation and technology for gum and candy, the team based in Eysins will collaborate closely with the Kraft Foods Global Gum + Candy Centre of Excellence, based in Whippany, New Jersey (U.S.), to drive innovation and new technologies that support the company´s European gum and candy business and global category growth platforms.

The Centre in Eysins joins 14 other Kraft Foods R+D Centres supporting the company´s global businesses including Beverages, Biscuits, Cheese, Chocolate, Coffee and Gum + Candy.