APC has opened its North American Innovation Kitchen, a pilot-scale research and development facility in Ankeny, Iowa, U.S., designed to help pet food companies evaluate plasma-based ingredients in actual formulations before full-scale production.
The facility is located within APC's research center and pilot plant and provides pet food brands, co-manufacturers and R&D teams with space to test ingredient performance under realistic processing conditions. The company developed the space to address industry demand for applied validation as formulations grow more complex and performance requirements increase.
The Innovation Kitchen accommodates multiple pet food formats, including wet foods, baked products, treats, toppers and supplements. Teams can use the facility to explore formulation changes, compare ingredient options, evaluate texture and structure, and assess plasma functionality across applications at various inclusion levels.
The space mirrors pet food manufacturing conditions while maintaining pilot environment flexibility. Projects can be conducted on site, remotely with APC running trials, or through a hybrid collaboration model with virtual reviews and data sharing.
According to APC, plasma-based functional proteins are the focus of the Innovation Kitchen's work. The company noted plasma provides nutrition, processing performance and bioactive components in a single ingredient, allowing teams to evaluate its role in binding, texture, palatability and overall product quality in finished recipes.
APC said it maintains confidentiality for all projects. Customer formulas, processing parameters and trial outcomes remain customer property, reflecting the company's approach as a family-owned partner with over 40 years of experience in plasma-based functional proteins.
APC manufactures and sells blood-derived functional plasma proteins and red blood cell products. APC operates 17 manufacturing facilities across eight countries with 500-plus employees.
