Swiss technology group Bühler has inaugurated its new Grain Innovation Center (GIC) in Uzwil, Switzerland, a facility dedicated to grain and pulse processing.

The centre aims to empower customers from the food and animal nutrition industries to innovate and improve their processes, ensuring they stay ahead of the latest trends in milling and remain competitive in their markets. Customers and partners also have access to the Application & Training Center (ATC) hub in Uzwil, which connects entire value chains.

The milling industry faces challenges around changes to global grain supply chains, nutritional requirements, transparency of sourcing and pricing pressures. Common difficulties for businesses in this sector include maintaining flour quality with variable raw materials, improving production and energy efficiency, managing safety issues and retaining a skilled workforce.

To address this, Bühler has opened the new GIC as the successor to its former Grain Technology Center, which has served the milling industry since 1951. The five-story facility spans 2,000 square metres and features modern infrastructure with over 70 pieces of advanced equipment from Bühler and its partners.

At the GIC, customers can develop new processes and solutions in various areas including cleaning, optical sorting, grinding, sifting, mixing and protein shifting (a mechanical process that increases the protein concentration in plant-based raw materials).

Additionally, they can work on hygeinisation and pelleting, as well as dehulling, peeling and pearling of grains and pulses. Food trials encompass a variety of raw materials including cereals, herbs, spices and pulses. The GIC offers the opportunity to conduct trials on local and ancient grains.

The side streams generated by the GIC, such as wheat bran, rice husks, corn husk, pea hulls and screenings from cleaning, will feed Bühler’s Energy Recovery Center, which provides heating for Bühler offices in Uzwil. Customers can also use this facility to explore the potential of utilising side streams through energy recovery, which can lead to the reduction of their carbon footprint, waste and energy costs.

Johannes Wick, CEO of Grains and Food at Bühler, said: “The Grain Innovation Center is the latest addition to Bühler’s expanding network of Application & Training Centers in Uzwil. We cover the entire range of production, from various raw materials to a wide array of finished products. In doing so, we provide our customers with exceptional flexibility and the choices they need to address increasing challenges and revolutionise their markets.”

The company’s ATC hub encompasses the GIC alongside four recently launched centres – Flavor Creation Center, Food Creation Center, Protein Application Center and Energy Recovery Center – alongside other centres that have been in operation for several years, such as the Extrusion Application Center and Pasta Application Center.

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