Tetra Pak has inaugurated its Product Development Centre (PDC) for Powder Process and Technology in Cholet, France — a state-of-the-art facility tailored to enhance the capabilities of food and beverage manufacturers in scaling up powder-formulated products. This centre responds to the growing demand for fortified drinks, specialised nutrition, and protein-based formulations by providing a robust platform for innovation.
The new PDC spans 340 square metres and comprises a fully equipped pilot plant with modular production lines, cutting-edge powder-handling technologies, and a dedicated testing laboratory. These assets enable manufacturers to replicate full-scale production conditions, validate recipes, and optimise processes before industrial rollout, significantly mitigating risk, cost, and time-to-market.
Supporting every stage of product development — from raw material characterisation to commercial scale-up — the Cholet PDC offers tailored trials for each customer. Remote livestreaming and comprehensive post-trial reporting expand global access. With over 6,000 powder samples and specialist instruments, the laboratory facilitates extensive analysis across categories such as dairy, beverages, ice cream, whey protein, and functional nutrition.
For producers handling sensitive or high-value ingredients, the ability to conduct trials under near-identical production conditions is transformative. It reduces waste, prevents costly downtime, and ensures that scale-up decisions are supported by robust data.
The centre also aligns with sustainability goals through resource-efficient processing and technologies like the Tetra Pak Air Jet Cleaning System for Powder and the scalable Production Control Ignition User Interface. These tools enhance ingredient utilisation and operational responsiveness.
Charles Brand, executive vice president for processing solutions & equipment at Tetra Pak, stated, “For producers, this means constant innovation, rapid scale-up, and flawless execution. Our new PDC is designed to help them achieve exactly that.” Francois-Xavier Barbey, business stream director for powder process and technologies, added, “Whether reducing product loss, preserving quality in sensitive formulations, or speeding up time-to-market, the PDC gives powder producers a clear competitive edge.”
As part of Tetra Pak’s global product development centre ecosystem, the Cholet facility connects with other innovation hubs, enabling producers to trial formulations, refine product identity, and build go-to-market strategies with assurance.
