Our approach to R&D&I combines our own laboratory, applied technology, a pilot plant and technical consultancy to develop advanced food formulations that are validated and adapted to real-world manufacturing conditions.
We work alongside manufacturers, ingredient suppliers, R&D departments and technical advisors to transform complex requirements into precise solutions. From preservation and microbiological stability to texture, performance, sensory profile and nutritional reformulation, every development is approached from a scientific standpoint and with a practical focus on application.
Our laboratory is Chemital’s technical hub. It is equipped to replicate real-world industrial processes and develop highly complex formulations, always in accordance with safety, efficacy and stability criteria.
Within this framework, we study the behaviour of ingredients, analyse their interactions and design functional combinations capable of meeting the specific requirements of each food matrix. The aim is to formulate with precision: adjusting dosage, functionality, shelf life, texture and sensory profile before scaling up the solution to the production environment.
Food safety requires foresight. That is why Chemital has developed its own Predictive Microbiology software, designed to predict microbial behaviour and optimise the shelf life of food with mathematical precision.
This tool enables scenarios to be analysed, risks assessed and preservation strategies defined that are best suited to the product, the process and the storage conditions. Its use provides an objective basis for making technical decisions in projects where microbiological stability is critical.
Our pilot plant allows us to validate formulations prior to industrial production. We carry out application trials replicating actual process conditions, helping to verify how each solution behaves in the final matrix.
Challenge tests and durability studies allow us to assess the effectiveness of preservation, stability and shelf-life strategies under controlled conditions. This phase reduces uncertainty, speeds up development and provides assurance prior to scale-up.
As well as supplying ingredients, we support every project with expert technical advice. We analyse requirements, define the formulation strategy, propose solutions and validate their application in the laboratory or pilot plant.
This technical consultancy enables us to address challenges relating to preservation, functionality, texture, performance, sensory development, clean labelling and nutritional reformulation from a holistic perspective: science, process, product and market.
SAFEMEAT24 is a pioneering project focused on food safety through the use of natural additives in cooked meat products. This initiative addresses one of the food industry’s greatest challenges: ensuring the stability and safety of cooked meat products stored at room temperature. The project aims to eliminate the need for refrigeration by incorporating natural additives that combine technological innovation and sustainability.
CHEMITAL is conducting this R&D project in collaboration with the AINIA research centre. The initiative is scheduled to run for 24 months, divided into two technical and financial stages over the period 2024–2026, and has a budget of €595,020, co-financed by CDTI Innovation with ERDF funds from the European Union.
Technical Specifications
As part of the Programme to Support Innovation in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (InnoEmpresa) 2007–2013, Chemital, in collaboration with the AINIA Technology Centre, developed a cross-regional project entitled “Technical assistance for the development of new food products”.
The aim of this project was to provide technical advice to agri-food companies on the development of new products with greater added value, by improving their nutritional and organoleptic properties, whilst ensuring microbiological safety and stability throughout their shelf life, and securing the acceptance of the product by potential consumers. This is why Chemital commissioned a challenge test, which confirmed the inhibitory effect of the INBAC-ADL preservative on strains of Listeria monocytogenes in a meat matrix, with the results showing complete inhibition of the pathogen population at a low concentration in samples incubated at 5°C. In determining this, various concentrations were studied under controlled environmental conditions, and a predictive microbiology model was developed for this purpose.
As part of the Programme to Support Innovation in Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (InnoEmpresa) 2007–2013, Chemital, in collaboration with the AINIA Technology Centre, developed a cross-regional project entitled “Technological improvement plan for the development of new products in the agri-food sector”.
The aim of this project was to provide technical advice to agri-food companies on the development of new products with greater added value, by improving their nutritional and organoleptic properties, whilst ensuring microbiological safety and stability throughout their shelf life, and securing the acceptance of the product by potential consumers. For this reason, Chemital conducted a challenge test, which determined that the preservative Spice Extract 65/S has an effective inhibitory effect on the growth of lactic acid bacteria (Leuconostoc mesenteroides and Lactobacillus brevis) and Listeria monocytogenes, as it slows down their growth; this effect increases with higher concentrations of the additive in the product.
In 2015, as part of another corporate R&D project, known by the acronym “BIO-PRED15”, Chemital addressed the need to develop food additives capable of inhibiting the growth of lactic acid bacteria as well as that of Listeria monocytogenes, thereby extending the shelf life of food whilst ensuring its quality and microbiological safety. The project, entitled “Development of biopreservatives for the control of pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms in meat products using predictive strategies” was conducted in collaboration with the AINIA Technology Centre, with funding from the Centre for Industrial Technological Development (CDTI) of the Ministry of Science and Innovation.
The INBAC ACN/NA preservative, developed for use in cooked meat products, one of the food categories where there is the greatest demand for solutions to the problem of microbial growth, demonstrated its effectiveness through a study and subsequent validation. This study yielded primary and secondary models, which were integrated to develop a tertiary model enabling the estimation of the shelf life of the products at different application doses. Using user-friendly software, the initial microbial concentration, the product’s storage temperature and the concentration of INBAC-ACN/NA can be set. The evolution of the results can also be expressed according to the chosen parameter.
The project entitled “Development and evaluation of bioprotective additives as substitutes for nitrites and nitrates in meat products using predictive models” has now been completed. It responded to the market’s need to provide consumers with healthier meat products, whilst ensuring their food safety. To this end, a new preservative developed by Chemital has been shown to be effective against Clostridium botulinum; it was validated in collaboration with the Department of Biotechnology and the Microbiology and Molecular Biology Laboratory at the AINIA technology centre, which is part of the Spanish Federation of Technology Centres (FEDIT), the Network of Technology Institutes of the Valencian Community (REDIT) and the European Food Institutes (EFI). This initiative was funded by the Centre for Industrial Technological Development (CDTI) of the Ministry of Science and Innovation.
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