Minnesota’s Innovation and R&D Hub
At Cargill, Innovation is more than just new ideas. It’s about using insights to anticipate our customers’ needs and create novel solutions that deliver value to our customers and Cargill. Our Innovation and R&D hub near the corporate headquarters in Wayzata, Minnesota, includes four campuses, outlined below. The Minnesota centers are part of a global network that delivers world-class, differentiated R&D capabilities to Cargill customers in North America and around the world.
This global network provides access to deep technical expertise across Cargill’s broad portfolio of ingredients and food systems, as well as to experts in key disciplines, such as biotechnology, material science, ingredient functionality, analytical science, rheology, sensory science, culinary based-product development and data analysis.
Collaborate with Cargill’s Experts
The research capabilities are designed to utilize market insights, innovative product development and the depth and breadth of Cargill’s products and expertise to create value for Cargill and our customers by bringing science to life. Through our integrated centers, we can help you:
- Develop new ingredient systems and solutions
- Rapidly deliver on concepts, mock-ups and prototypes to assist product development
- Provide culinary-based applications offering unique visual, taste and texture appeal
- Develop and scale up solutions, such as ingredient systems or finished products, and assist with process development and shelf-life testing
- Create an integrated supply chain program by drawing upon our capabilities in sourcing ingredients and relationships with co-manufacturers and co-packers
- Solve specific formulation and reformulation challenges, including developing healthier food products
Minneapolis Research & Development Center – Plymouth, Minnesota
This 106,000 square-foot facility acts as headquarters to more than 200 employees working in food material science, food chemistry, chromatography, chemistry, process engineering, ingredient development and food applications, beauty and molecular biology and biotechnology. This combination of expertise and capabilities under one roof, enhances collaboration to more quickly and efficiently enable our customers’ success. Key applications capabilities include dairy, beverage, convenience and sweetness.
Cargill Food Innovation Center – Plymouth, Minnesota
The Cargill Food Innovation Center includes ingredient R&D and applications capability, along with technical services across a wide range of food products. Ingredient research work brings functional ingredient innovation in protein, salt, plant protein, oils and meat alternatives. Applications teams collaborate with customers on food Service menu items, snacks, cereal, bakery, confectionery and frying to deliver innovation, drive market share and accelerate product development projects.
Cargill Bioindustrial Center – Plymouth, MN
This center includes key capabilities for Cargill’s Bioindustrial business, including application, product and process development across a broad range of industrial applications for customers looking for a smarter way to formulate their products to help improve performance and/or gain total cost efficiencies in a sustainable manner. Key products and applications for customer-driven innovation include power generation, road construction, foams, waxes, binders and adhesives.
Cargill Engineering and Oils Pilot Center – Savage Minnesota
Cargill’s Engineering and Oils Pilot Center provides two main services. Cargill’s engineering capabilities include fermentation, distillation, membrane separation, evaporation, data visualization and prototype manufacturing. Cargill also leverages this site for its pilot capabilities to accelerate the product development process, speed access to product testing and enable real-time adjustments to production parameters. The facility allows for multi-scale, continuous piloting (testing), starting with the refining of new vegetable oils and blends and ending with innovative shortening solutions for breads, cakes, cookies, frying and other uses. Other food ingredients, including those used for confectionery products and infant nutrition, can be piloted at the site as well.