Calbee America, Inc. is strengthening its domestic innovation capabilities with the introduction of a new R&D Innovation Center in Madera, California. 

Planned to help the company accelerate innovation and product development, the facility will support bringing Asian-inspired offerings to the mainstream marketplace and expanding Harvest Snaps' presence in the salty snack category.

Calbee is a leading snack company in Japan, with its U.S. division driving revenue growth. The Harvest Snaps brand recently expanded its nutrient-dense, 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 iconic Shrimp Chips, are a leader in the Asian salty snack aisle at mainstream retail channels. In addition, newly launched Asian Style Chips are planned to drive category expansion.

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. Complete with a 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.

"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,” says Takuro Kris Tatsumi, director of R&D at Calbee America Inc. “We will explore different ingredient bases and flavors, along with improvements in texture and new snack shapes."