Sabra Dipping Co., the dips venture run by PepsiCo and Israeli food group Strauss, is to set up an R&D facility in the US.

The company is spending US$28m on a facility in Chesterfield County in Virginia.

Strauss decided to run its US dips business Sabra in tandem with PepsiCo in 2008. Sabra is the top-selling brand of hummus in the US and is the leader in the chilled dips and spreads category.

The announcement of the new R&D facility comes a week after PepsiCo and Strauss announced plans to launch a range of dips and spreads for the Mexican market under the Obela brand.