Lactalis USA has opened the Culinary & Sensory Institute in Buffalo, New York, a facility designed to help expand its culinary expertise in multiple channels. 

The new institute serves as Lactalis’ North American culinary and sensory channel operations and aims to foster innovation, enhance customer and consumer experiences with the company’s dairy products, and test product quality. 

“The Culinary & Sensory Institute exemplifies our commitment to providing delicious, nutritious dairy products that resonate with the evolving tastes and demands of our consumers,” says Esteve Torrens, Lactalis USA CEO. “It allows us to monitor the quality and performance of products from across our U.S. portfolio and ensure their consistency. Our U.S. business has grown steadily since entering the market in 1980 and this institute helps fulfill a key aspect of our future growth strategy by continuing to drive improvement.” 

The Culinary & Sensory Institute comprises commercial and residential kitchen spaces where Lactalis chefs can host customers and explore ways to expand menu and retail offerings using equipment found in restaurants and home kitchens. Lactalis chefs also create new recipes and concepts in the institute and further foster dairy product innovation. Additionally, the institute is a central location for sensory panels to sample Lactalis products for quality assurance and compare them against competing brands.  

“Our institute maximizes the impact of our culinary sales operations by deepening our customer relationships,” says Jean-Luc Bruandet, president and CEO of Lactalis American Group, a division of Lactalis USA that oversees food service sales. “The Culinary & Sensory Institute allows us to work in collaboration with key partners to create recipes and collect feedback that will ensure our products fulfill their needs and expectations. It aligns with our vision to drive relevant dairy innovation to stay ahead of consumer trends and produce the highest quality products for our customers and consumers.” 

The institute represents a $2 million investment in Buffalo, where the company has invested more than $111 million since 2020, including projects to modernize its manufacturing facility and increase its production of Galbani Mozzarella, ricotta and whey powder.