Print page

Tyson unveils new R&D 'discovery' center

FoodProcessing.com
03/08/2007

Tyson Foods, Inc. officially unveiled its new “Discovery Center,” a research and development facility designed to enhance the company’s ability to create new foods and bring them to market more quickly.

The Discovery Center, which opened in mid-January, is located on the campus of Tyson’s World Headquarters in Springdale, Arkansas. The 100,000 square foot facility is home to the food science and culinary professionals who are part of Tyson’s Research and Development team. The Center includes 19 specialized research kitchens, a multi-protein pilot plant, a packaging innovation lab, a sensory analysis lab and consumer focus group capabilities.

“The Discovery Center is much more than a building,” said Tyson President and CEO Richard L. Bond. “It’s about our passion to create new products designed to meet the ever-changing needs of today’s consumers.

Hal Carper, senior vice president of Corporate Research and Development for Tyson, says, "The Discovery Center is designed for joint value creation with our customers. Here our food innovation teams collaborate with customers to research consumer needs, then design and test new products and packaging. We can then produce products on a test basis in a real-life manufacturing environment.”

Tyson’s Research and Development team includes approximately 120 Team Members. More than 50 of them hold advanced degrees, including 11 with PhDs. About 65 Tyson technologists are training to become Research Chefs Association (RCA) Certified Culinary Scientists. Once they have completed the training, this means two-thirds of the world’s RCA Certified Culinary Scientists will be on staff at Tyson Foods.