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Nutrition-health |
| More than half of all consumers want to combine
pleasure and safety in their eating habits, while preserving their
figure and health. La Rochelle has in recent years developed a foothold
in the "nutrition-health" market. |
- Agrocean
centre
Spread over 20 hectares, Agrocean is a platform specially designed
for enterprises operating in the food-processing industry.
Located near the commercial and fishing ports, it has refrigerated
storage facilities and a quick-freeze unit. The commercial
port at La Pallice processes more than 7.7 million tons. It
is the only deepwater port on the Atlantic and meets the
international service requirements of an industrial complex, intercontinental
import-export and continental transport to the rest of Europe.
- Research
laboratories
The LBCB (for "Laboratoire
de Biotechnologies et de Chimie Bio-organique") has developed a new flavouring technology. This R&D complex is backed by a services centre (logistics, consultancy, analysis, interface).
The LMTAI laboratory ("Laboratoire de Maîtrise des Technologies
Agro-Industrielles"), specialising in agro-industry technologies,
developed a controlled flash expansion process known as DIC, which
is used in new products for sterilisation, texturising, drying,
or even essential-oil extraction. It enhances product quality
and quality control, lowers costs and is safe to the environment.
The main applications of the DIC process are in food processing,
pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.
A pooled resource, the Centre Commun d’Analyses carries
out analyses and studies commissioned by outside bodies in the
public and private sectors. It has an impressive array of equipment:
a vertical scanning electron microscope, a 220 kV scanning transmission
electron microscope, a 400 MHz nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer
and a multi-trace and ultra-trace element analyser installed in
a white room.
- Service sector
CRITT Agroalimentaire acts as a clearing house for information
and technology watch.
It assists companies in developing their new products and processes.
It studies industrial development projects and accompanies their
implementation. CRITT also helps companies set up quality procedures
and find sources of funding.
In short, CRITT is an essential partner in the nutrition-health
segment. Every two years, it organizes "Food & Health", an event
during which several hundred companies attend conferences - in
short, a business convention unique in Europe.
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