UniLaSalle and the CTCPA have announced the creation of the FoodLab, their future multi-process food production hall. Work on the building, based on the Beauvais campus of the polytechnic institute, has already begun.
UniLaSalle and the CTCPA, the industrial technical center dedicated to the agri-food industry, have laid the foundation stone of the FoodLab, their new state-of-the-art industrial hall dedicated to the production of processed foods.
A new platform dedicated to innovation and support
Born of a common interest in creating a multimodal food production tool, the FoodLab will be located in a building next to AgriLab, UniLaSalle Beauvais' first agricultural FabLab.
"The FoodLab will offer concrete solutions to the challenges faced by the agri-food sector in terms of training, innovation and food safety, particularly for farmers and small and medium-sized enterprises," says Philippe Choquet, UniLaSalle's director general.
"This tool will enable us to strengthen the service offer for clients in the northern zone, including the Île-de-France, and for the CTCPA's members", says Vincent THIBAULT, CTCPA's General Manager.
To do this, UniLaSalle and the CTCPA propose to pool their expertise in training, production and conservation of agricultural products via applied research on formulation, process and/or packaging. This desire is based on the differentiating skills of UniLaSalle and the CTCPA in the innovative technologies of transformation of agricultural products and the conservation of nutritional, sanitary and sensory quality.
An environment designed by professionals for professionals
Thanks to the FoodLab, farmers, start-ups, SMEs or large agri-food groups will have the opportunity to carry out trials or mini-series of processed food production. In addition, companies will be able to benefit from studies, advice and research and development services to create new high quality food products while guaranteeing food safety.
Multi-process, the FoodLab will be equipped for:
- The production of canned goods and ready-made meals from vegetables and meats
- The production of pasteurized juices and drinks
- Production of cereal products such as cookies
The FoodLab will also offer training to professionals in the agri-food sector in sanitary quality control, production line management, R&D, etc.
Financed by the ERDF and the Hauts-de-France Region, this new facility is intended to become a national reference center for the agri-food sector by offering innovative solutions that meet the expectations of today's consumers.
The Foodlab's layout will allow for optimal use of resources and will favor the most ecological materials in order to limit its impact on the environment.
The FoodLab will be operational by the end of 2023.
About the CTCPA
The CTCPA (Centre Technique de la Conservation des Produits Agricoles) is a technical research and service center that has been assisting food companies for more than 70 years in their product and process development, food quality and safety preservation, environmental and industrial performance and packaging. The CTCPA provides services for all food processing companies (from start-ups to large groups) in the form of audits-consulting-studies, laboratory analyses (microbiology/molecular biology, nutritional quality, packaging), tests and pre-production runs in technological halls, process evaluations and intra and inter-company training.
The CTCPA has historically carried out collective research and technical-regulatory support missions for the canned, dehydrated and frozen vegetable industry.
