‘Local expertise, global innovation provides world-ready solutions for NZ manufacturers’
Innovation at Azelis New Zealand is grounded in a deep understanding of local manufacturing realities. Working closely with food brand owners and manufacturers across the country, the team supports product development that balances taste, performance, and evolving consumer expectations, backed by access to Azelis’s global innovation network. From products tailored for the domestic market to those intended for export, the Azelis New Zealand team partners with customers at every stage, from concept through development and manufacturing.
With more than 70 application laboratories globally, Azelis translates proven technologies into practical, scalable outcomes that enhance taste, texture, nutrition, and process performance, while remaining aligned with local production environments and regulatory requirements.
“Global insights are powerful, and local adaptation makes them useful,” says Melanie Salberg, commercial director, food and nutrition. “Our role is to turn smart ingredient technologies into solutions that fit local production realities and customer needs, whether that’s optimising yield, improving texture and mouthfeel, or addressing specific processing challenges through bio-based solutions and enzymes.”
Under Salberg’s leadership, the team works closely with customers with a strong focus on nutritional solutions, sustainability, and strategic growth. This customer-centric approach is reinforced by strong on-the-ground engagement, including dedicated support across the South Island and lower North Island through Matt Alldridge, industry manager for food and health, based in Christchurch. With over a decade of experience spanning global dairy exports and supply chain management, Alldridge combines an international perspective with a hands-on approach.
Supporting this engagement, Michelle Vorster plays a key role in inside sales and customer coordination. With a background in high performance sport, she helps customers navigate Azelis’s broad solutions portfolio. Salberg says her customer first approach makes her a trusted partner serving customers with pace and precision. This work is further underpinned by dedicated regulatory and quality expertise, with regulatory officer Kelly Wong supporting manufacturers in navigating food safety and compliance requirements while maintaining consistency from development through to launch.
Digital tools such as the Azelis Customer Portal further support this approach, providing streamlined access to technical documentation, formulation concepts, and collaboration resources to help development teams move efficiently from idea to implementation.
Biosolutions and enzymes: Smarter, cleaner, more sustainable
Biosolutions, particularly enzyme- and fermentation-based technologies, play a key role in how Azelis supports innovation for New Zealand manufacturers. Salberg says these solutions enhance process efficiency by improving yield, processing robustness, and batch-to-batch consistency, while enabling cleaner-label formulation through natural processing routes that support sugar reduction, viscosity control, and the stabilisation of complex systems such as plant-based applications.
Beyond processing benefits, biosolutions also support more effective protein and fibre integration, helping manufacturers achieve improved sensory performance and functional stability. Together, these advantages contribute to lower energy use, reduced rework, and more resource-efficient, reliable production.
This capability is also supported by specialist expertise within the Azelis New Zealand team. Delores Eiman brings deep experience in enzyme and flavour formulation, working closely with manufacturers to improve process efficiency, support cleaner labels, and deliver distinctive sensory outcomes. Food technologist Mitchell Thompson supports biosolutions and process optimisation across multiple categories, helping translate formulation concepts into reliable, scalable production. From a nutrition and health perspective, Nicole Deed, key account manager and a qualified dietitian, supports the integration of proteins, fibres, and nutritional actives to provide sound nutritional benefits while maintaining taste, texture, and commercial viability.
“Biosolutions let us do more with less: less waste, cleaner labels, better consistency,” says Eiman. “It’s innovation that pays its way in both performance and sustainability.”
By combining biosolutions expertise with hands-on technical support, Azelis helps customers adopt these technologies with confidence, ensuring consistent performance from pilot trials through to full-scale production.
Built for New Zealand, globally innovative
Salberg says that innovation in the New Zealand food industry sits at the intersection of nutrition, taste, texture, and real-world performance. With deep local understanding supported by global capabilities, Azelis New Zealand helps brand owners and manufacturers deliver “products that consumers trust and enjoy – better-for-you, better-performing, and built for the future”.
“In the end, it’s simple. Great food, solid performance, smarter sustainability. That’s how we help shape the next generation of food and beverage products.”
Sponsored content: For more information phone 09 444 4650 or visit www.azelis.com.
