JATRA acknowledges the need for a substantial commitment to research and development in order to maintain its position as a world leader in its field, and to maximise its own growth opportunities. To this end, the company invests over 5% of turnover in ongoing Research and Development.

JATRA is proud of its ability to interpret information supplied by international customers internationally and produce concept samples to meet their needs with speed and efficiency. Significant emphasis is placed on the development of new methods of processing, often utilising several specialised technologies, including:

• The exact measurement of viscosity and thickness of a sauce.

• The exact measurement of flavour using near infra-red principles.

• The extraction of particular ingredients in liquid, powder or solid form.

Once JATRA has developed a new process or product, it is trialled in its pilot plant for a set period and then, if successful, it is moved into factory production, where it continues to be subjected to rigorous quality checks and controls.

Vital to the success of new product and process development are highly

qualified personnel, many of them graduates in biochemistry and food science, who are committed to finding new and better ways of doing things. The manager of Research and Development is supported by PhD graduates and food technologists, and enjoys close working relationships with the region’s two universities, which provides access to sophisticated analytical systems and additional resources. A number of qualified professional chefs are employed to assist with the development of new flavours and food products.

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