Buffalo is already a key production site for Lactalis USA, which makes brands like Galbani and Stonyfield Creek. Now, the dairy producer is adding a major component to its local facilities.
Lactalis USA has its new culinary and sensory institute for all North American operations based in Buffalo. Lactalis USA encompasses all Lactalis properties within the country, including Buffalo’s Lactalis American Group.
Proximity to farmers and accessibility make Buffalo ideal for the institute, Lactalis American Group President and CEO Jean-Luc Breaundet said.
“When you are producing cheese or dairy product, you need to be close to the meat collection. It's better to have fresh product, so this is the reason why we're on Buffalo," he said. "And then Buffalo offers many types of advantage. Yes, obviously, it's easy to go also everywhere on the East Coast and West Coast. So it's a, it's definitely a good spot for a company like Lactalis.”
The institute includes residential and commercial kitchens for culinary specialists and chefs to identify food trends, characteristics, and new recipes. There also are 20 individual testing booths where food scientists can work with volunteers to test samples.
It’s a first-of-its-kind moment for the company, Lactalis USA CEO Esteve Torrens said.
“It's a tool that's going to help, not just Lactalis American Group in Buffalo, but it's going to be used for all our businesses, all our divisions in the US, with their customers and with consumers. So you know, we do it in Buffalo, because Buffalo is a key part of the history of Lactalis in the US," he said. "As you know, this was the second factory that Lactalis bought in the US back in 1992, and Lactalis has been growing with you guys, with the people of Buffalo, all these years.”
