Ingredient supplier ADM is investing $26 million in its Erlanger, Kentucky campus, with a focus on innovation, growth and addressing the demand for reformulation in the evolving food landscape.

Company insights indicate over 80% of U.S. consumers favor reformulation, with 52% stating it is a must for brands and 63% preferring that brands reformulate existing products to align with better-for-you positioning. This investment in Erlanger— the company's flagship flavors facility in the U.S. — aims to help customers meet consumer expectations by increasing the capacity, delivery, supply and consistency of ADM's naturally derived color and flavor solutions.

The investment will include a 3,600-sq.-ft. expansion of an existing facility on the Erlanger campus, representing a 40% increase of capabilities to create efficiencies in raw material handling. The site will also see multiple digitalization, automated technology and integrated process upgrades.

This builds upon a $15 million investment at the site in 2025, resulting in a 7,200-sq.-ft. expansion of the Customer Creation and Innovation Center where ADM co-creates solutions for taste, flavor and color across food and beverage categories with its customers. Both investments will play significant roles in meeting critical reformulation needs.

"Our dedication to scaling our innovative solutions for customers, both in the U.S. and globally, coincides with shifting consumer preferences and changing regulatory guidelines, impacting all facets of food and beverage product development," says Ian Pinner, president of ADM’s Nutrition business. "These enhanced capabilities at our Erlanger facility support our customers in navigating regulatory compliance and achieving consumer acceptance through reformulating for sensory and nutritional optimization."

ADM has identified five key pillars driving product reformulation, rooted in proprietary consumer research, market analysis and regulatory understanding. They include:

• Cleaner label: Removing and replacing artificial ingredients, including petroleum-based dyes and certain sweeteners, with ingredients and colors derived from natural sources.
• Less sugars: Providing options for consumers focused on sugar and calorie reduction, while also maintaining mouthfeel and structural properties through quality sweeteners and flavor modulation solutions.
• Added protein: Providing nutrient-dense options through diverse protein content from plant proteins, beans, pulses, ancient grains and seeds without compromising the sensory experience.
• Less sodium: Adapting to proposed levels of sodium content, while retaining consumer-preferred tastes by leveraging savory flavors and flavor modulation tools.
• Optimized fat: Addressing demand for different types of fats or oils in consumers’ favorite products through optimized fat and oil systems that also support indulgent sensory attributes.

"Investing in our capabilities, solutions and technologies helps simplify reformulation for our customers," says Pinner. "Backed by decades of expertise and our comprehensive ingredients library, we can tackle any combination of the five crucial reformulation drivers."