The teams are all there: sales, marketing, applications, research and technology. As a result, Gold Coast Ingredients, Inc., called its new innovation facility the SMART Center, using an acronym to highlight the resources available all in one place.

The SMART Center helps baking and snack companies develop custom flavors and colors, extracts, flavor modifiers, and ingredient enhancers. While its corporate facility in Commerce, Calif., retains its departments and abilities, having additional teams within the innovation center at Santa Fe Springs, Calif., provides efficiency for customers and maximizes Gold Coast Ingredients’ creativity.

“Our marketing and sales teams work together to assist our customers with new and trending flavor and color ideas,” said Megan Byrnes, marketing representative, Gold Coast Ingredients, Inc. “Then our R.&D. team formulates flavors based on customers’ interests and requirements. After flavors are developed for customers, our applications team is in-house to apply flavors into customers’ bases and test prototypes. We all work together very closely as the process unfolds.”

In the 52,715-square-foot SMART Center, there’s plenty of room for Gold Coast Ingredients’ five departments in addition to areas to test formulations and final product. There are 10 new laboratories that include independent workrooms for sweet and savory flavorings, natural colors, flavor modifiers; a separate analytics lab; a full lab for application development and testing; and a commercial-style kitchen.

While the applications lab is for cold products such as beverages, ice cream and frozen treats, the kitchen also was designed for the development of hot products such as baked goods, confectionery, fillings and more.

“Our Revent oven is extremely helpful in our applications kitchen because it cooks high-quality prototypes evenly with every use,” Ms. Byrnes noted.

The Gold Coast Ingredients’ application team has helped formulate a variety of bakery items such as cookies, cakes, donuts, macarons, biscuits, crackers, puff pastries, croissants, bagels, tortillas, breads and protein-enriched baked foods. Working hands-on with companies of all sizes, the team sifts through flavors, colors and usage levels to create the most complimentary sensory experiences for the final product.

The more than 2,000 flavors and colors from Gold Coast Ingredients come in a wide range of consistencies and characteristics. For example, flavorings can be organic and non-G.M.O.; natural or artificial; powder or liquid; oil-soluble or water-soluble; savory or sweet or combinations of both. They also can be heat-stable and are available as advanced extracts, seasonings, emulsions and powdered encapsulations.

From soft yellows or blues to vibrant reds or purples, colorant offerings at Gold Coast Ingredients include lake blends, natural plant, fruit and vegetable extracts, or FD&C dyes. These colors also can be blended. Additionally, baking and snack companies can request samples of these flavors and colors.

Gold Coast Ingredients is also always on the move to add more to its lineup. In February, the SMART Center expanded its tomato flavor profile range with Fresh Tomato, Vine Ripened Tomato, Roasted Tomato, Fried Green Tomato, Tomato Paste, and Tomato & Herb. These flavors pair well with snacks and bread.

The sales, marketing, applications, research and technology teams at the SMART Center can give customers the efficiency they’re looking for and consumers a product that appeals to their eyes and palate, from a barbecue-flavored cracker to a muffin that tastes like coffee or lavender. To take a tour of Gold Coast Ingredients or for more information about its flavor and colorant offerings, contact the company at www.goldcoastinc.com.