When most folks think of Florida citrus, orange juice or fresh grapefruit comes to mind. Few appreciate the full diversity of the fruit hidden in its bloom, peel, juices and oils. That is where the Citrus Innovation Center comes in with high-tech approaches to extract more out of Florida’s signature crop.
The 30,000-square-foot facility on the campus of Florida Polytechnic University in Lakeland opened last year. According to Karel Coosemans, vice president of citrus innovation, citrus is one of the most vital fruits for the creation of flavors and scents. To illustrate the point, he says the company has identified more than 16,000 unique orange flavors from the fruit.
ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES
The parent company of the Citrus Innovation Center is New York City-based IFF. IFF bills itself as a global leader in the creation of flavors, fragrances, food ingredients, health and biosciences.
Some of the world’s leading brands are customers of the Citrus Innovation Center. The center works closely with those clients to create key ingredients in everything from drinks to fabric softeners. Coosemans says the possibilities of what can be created with citrus are virtually endless.
“One of our favorite things to do is to work with our clients to co-create a taste or fragrance that makes their product unique and stand out,” Coosemans says. “We have the scientists and technology here at the center to get down to the molecular level to identify and understand what creates those types of flavors or scents. And we have science focused on how humans perceive flavor and smell. That all goes into helping our clients develop a product that stays current with emerging trends in demand and consumer preferences.”
WHY CENTRAL FLORIDA?
For those who travel up and down Interstate 4, many will recognize the white-framed steel structure of Florida Polytechnic University. When the university was built, it included space to host a technology park. The Citrus Innovation Center is among the first technology partners on the property. The center’s proximity to the interstate and the Orlando International Airport check a lot of boxes from a logistics standpoint.
The proximity to commercial citrus groves and the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Citrus Research and Education Center (CREC) as well as being in a state that identifies itself with citrus were deciding factors in choosing the location for the center.
The company hired Gio Ijpkemeule as its head agronomist to help identify and grow key sources of citrus. She is a familiar face in Florida’s citrus industry.
Read the rest of the article and watch a video to learn more about the Citrus Innovation Center.
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