Innovation
Centres of Excellence
Our food manufacturing centres are what puts us ahead of our competition. At Crown National, we strive to continually provide our customers with the very best level of quality and service.
Our customers in all food industry segments enjoy exceptional peace of mind knowing that they are receiving only the finest products available, manufactured in accordance with international food safety specifications and backed by unrivalled technical expertise.
There are currently two Centres of Excellence, one in Johannesburg and the other in Cape Town. These centres already offer our customers the very best in product design, research and development.
We believe that there is always more we can do for our customers. After all, the customer has become more sophisticated, segmented and demanding, and expects more in terms of customisation, "newness", quality and price.
It is our vision to transform these centres into modern and superior facilities, making us the leading ingredients' company in Africa.
The Theatre of Food Ingredients
Showcases our products, technical competence, principles, innovation data base, sensory evaluation, pilot plant processing capabilities and development expertise not to mention analytical testing of rheology, viscometry and protein composition that will support the product development process.
The facility houses separate, inter-leading, specialist pilot plant amenities for the:
- Meat Sector
- Convenience Sector
- Sauces and Condiments Sector
- Dairy and Beverage Sector
Each of these is equipped with the latest pilot plant scale equipment that accurately emulates the scale of process in large operations. We are able to conduct factory trials in simulated conditions at a fraction of the cost usually experienced when testing in full scale operations.
Our International principals have welcomed this initiative as it not only serves as a base for their local activities but also emulates the work they conduct in their own facilities on a comparative basis. The principles are linked via video conferencing facilities to our Centre of Innovation, Design & Technology and in turn with all our trading branches in order to offer on-going audio visual support in the form of lectures, demonstrations, training, interactive workshops, meetings and general communication.
Our Factories
Crown National’s state-of-the-art, FSSC22000 and BRC approved, manufacturing facilities are located in Montague Gardens.
Our facilities are designed with world-class food safety standards in mind. Product quality is ensured through a number of sophisticated diagnostic and product sterilisation equipment, allowing stringent control of the various processes throughout the production cycle. As per the South African Bureau of Standards and government regulations, we are fully FSSC 22000 compliant with both local and international food safety standards.
The future and the development of our products is aimed at meeting new trends arising from the incorporation of new technological advances in processes, as well as the design and new features of all products in the Food Industry.
The Crown Food Group Manufacturing Dry Plant (spices, seasoning packs) incorporates the most up-to-date international food production technology.
The Crown Food Group Manufacturing Wet Plant (sauces, marinades) incorporates the manufacture of sauces and marinades.
The Microsafe® Food Safety Programme is our guarantee that every single product manufactured by our factories have been produced under the most hygienic conditions, to be fully compliant to the strictest food safety programme that conforms to world-class standards. Our factories are also fully Kosher and Halaal compliant. Through Microsafe®, we aim to be the preferred supplier of food ingredients, giving customers full peace of mind.
Product Design
Our team has built up many years of wide-ranging product experience.
Product Development at Crown National
Crown National offers a team of highly skilled product development and innovation specialists to provide a product design service which enhances our technical capability. Our product design, research and development experts assist with all stages of development, from concept initialisation, all the way to production.
Our team has built up many years of wide-ranging product experience, including: and
The meat sector - boerewors and marinated meat products, brine injections, processed meats and meat snack products.
Other sectors - soups, condiments, marinades and sauces.
Product formulations are developed and tested at our state-of-the-art development kitchens and pilot-plant facilities, supported by a sensory testing laboratory that is used for evaluating ingredient and product performance. Our experts also conduct factory visits to further support new formulations and processes.
Health-Focused Product Development
Increasing government and consumer awareness of the link between diet and health is driving demand for healthier food products.
We are constantly developing and evaluating healthier versions of products, while maintaining product quality and shelf life, including:
- Sugar reduction
- Emulsifiers
- Fat reduction (including replacement of trans and saturated fats)
- Sodium reduction
- Vitamin and mineral fortification
- Satiety, weight management and low Glycaemic Index (GI)
- Addition of other functional ingredients
Training
The Centre of Excellence in Cape Town is fully equipped with state-of-the-art facilities that provide the ultimate food factory training experience.
Providing infotainment with demonstrations by chefs and food specialists and is used as a home base by various institutions and associations.
Highlights include separate pilot plant rooms for the meat, bakery, condiments and sauces, dairy and beverage sectors. Each pilot plant room is equipped with scaled miniature pilot plant equipment that accurately emulates typical processes in large scale operations.
Through such initiatives, we are able to conduct a number of factory trials in a simulated environment. This in turn offers a cost-effective way to test, without the huge expenses found in full-scale operations.