Calbee America Launches California R&D Innovation Center

FAIRFIELD, Calif. — Snack company Calbee America, Inc. announced a new R&D Innovation Center in Madera, Calif. Planned to help the company grow in double digits annually by accelerating innovation and product development, the facility will support the team in bringing Asian-flavored offerings to the mainstream marketplace and expanding Harvest Snaps' presence as a better-for-you brand in the salty snack category, the company said. A grand opening took place on Jan. 24.

Calbee is Japan's largest snack company, according to INTAGE Inc. The flagship Harvest Snaps brand recently expanded its veggie-based lineup to include 100% whole fruit snacks for kids, plus Crunchy Puffs made with navy beans as the first ingredient. In addition, Calbee's Asian-inspired snack brands, including its Shrimp Chips, are a leader in the Asian salty snack aisle at mainstream retail channels, outperforming the category in annual growth, according to IRI SPINS. In addition, newly launched Asian Style Chips are planned to drive category expansion, said Calbee.

Leveraging the latest food industry technology from Japan, the R&D innovation center will accelerate innovation and spearhead the development of more Asian-flavored snacks appealing to the American palate, along with better-for-you snacks under the Harvest Snaps banner, said Calbee. Complete with state-of-the-art kitchen and offices accommodating up to 15 researchers, the facility will create products ranging from tortilla and potato chips to popcorn, cereal and crackers that can be certified organic, gluten free, non-GMO and kosher.

Takuro Kris Tatsumi, director of R&D at Calbee America Inc., said, "We are so proud of the great-tasting, high-quality products that our team has brought to the North American marketplace to date and look forward to expanding our ability to innovate with a new hub here in the United States. We will explore different ingredient bases and flavors, along with improvements in texture and new snack shapes."