WESTCHESTER, Ill.—Ingredion launched its Ingredion Idea Labs™ innovation centers in the United States to give customers new consumer-centric ways to create innovative, profitable products.

With three U.S. facilities and 21 others being launched worldwide by the end of 2014, Ingredion Idea Labs innovation centers will foster science-based collaboration and problem solving for food, beverage and industrial customers in four key areas: consumer insights, applied research, applications know-how and process technology.

The network of 24 labs represents an expansion and rebranding of the R&D and technical service foundation of Ingredion and its legacy companies, Corn Products and National Starch.

“Customers in more than 100 countries will be able to get services at greater depth and scale than ever before," said Joseph Light, vice president, global development, Ingredion. "The labs combine sweetness, texture and cost optimization capabilities with nutrition, clean labeling, delivery systems and biomaterials expertise and facilities."

The Ingredion Idea Labs global center in Bridgewater, New Jersey, features new sweetness capabilities and facilities used for balancing sweetness and texture through the company's proprietary DIAL-IN^® technology, and it acts as the global hub for applied research. Labs in each region will offer expanded sensory and CULINOLOGY^®capabilities.

The United States is the first country to launch Ingredion Idea Labs innovation centers, with labs in Bedford Park, Illinois; Indianapolis, Indiana; and Bridgewater, New Jersey. By the end of 2014, they will be joined by labs covering Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia-Pacific, South America, Mexico and Canada.