KENYA — Global ingredients and specialty chemicals distributor IMCD has inaugurated its Food and Nutrition Applications Laboratory in Nairobi, a move set to accelerate food innovation and product development across East Africa. 

The new lab, a first of its kind for IMCD in East Africa, marks the company’s deepening commitment to local research and development (R&D) to better serve the demands of changing food markets in the region.

Located in Nairobi, the lab will cater to a diverse range of market segments, including bakery, dairy, savory foods, snacks, and nutrition products. 

During an exclusive tour of the facility, invited guests, including customers and key suppliers, were able to experience innovative sensory formulations firsthand. 

George Olang, IMCD's Food & Nutrition Business Unit Manager, remarked on the lab's potential to shape industry standards in the region. 

“With the launch of our new laboratory, we are enhancing food innovation across Kenya and East Africa,” Olang said. 

“Our facility is built to support our partners in navigating emerging trends. We look forward to co-creating solutions that meet consumer demand and establish new levels of excellence in food production.”

The launch attracted industry leaders from major suppliers, including Ingredion, Givaudan, DSM, and Barry Callebaut, who attended to explore partnership opportunities and product testing capabilities. 

Positioned as a hub for co-innovation, the laboratory will foster collaborative R&D among IMCD's suppliers and customers, who can work directly with IMCD's technical experts to develop new formulations and test product concepts suited to East African consumer preferences.

IMCD's expanding footprint in Africa

IMCD's Nairobi facility joins a network of regional R&D centres across Africa. Its main R&D centre, based in Johannesburg, South Africa, supports the food and beverage, beauty, and construction sectors. 

IMCD has also expanded its presence across North Africa, with operations in Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, and Egypt. The Nairobi laboratory highlights IMCD's shift to localize its R&D resources to cater directly to African markets, where demand for innovative and locally relevant food solutions is rising.

Industry shift toward localized R&D

IMCD is among several global ingredient suppliers to recently establish R&D and manufacturing capabilities in East Africa. 

Kerry Foods, another major player, invested in a US$5 million manufacturing facility in Uganda in March 2024 and has sites in Kenya, Tanzania, and Rwanda to serve local food markets. 

Other firms with R&D infrastructure in Kenya include AIT Ingredients, Cape Food Ingredients, and Mühlenchemie (Stern Ingredients East Africa), all catering to regional sectors like baking, snacks, and beverages.

The move to localize R&D signifies a growing industry trend among food ingredient companies to conduct research closer to consumers, accelerating the pace of product development and allowing more adaptive responses to regional consumer preferences. 

As more firms choose to localize their R&D activities, East Africa is fast becoming an R&D hub for food innovation, which could influence product formulation, quality control, and ingredient standards across the African continent.