Sabra Dipping Co., the dips venture run by PepsiCo and Israeli food group Strauss, has opened an R&D centre in Chesterfield, Virginia.

The dips maker said the research centre, located on the site of Sabra’s hummus manufacturing facility, will further research capabilities and improve the firm’s products in all aspects of food manufacturing and distribution.

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The plant supports Sabra and the international venture between PepsiCo and Strauss Group, called Obela. Sabra says the centre is the first-of-its-kind R&D centre for refrigerated dips and spreads.

“We are honoured to partner with Obela to push the envelope in research and development, opening a world of possibilities in dips and spreads in terms of innovation, taste, health and more,” said Ronen Zohar, CEO of Sabra Dipping Co. “The potential is as promising as it is delicious.”

As Obela looks to expand beyond Mexico and Australia, the facility will enable it to leverage experience from the US market. The company launched in Mexico in June 2012 with three varieties of hummus.

Separately, Sabra also broke ground this week on the next phase of expansion of its existing manufacturing facility, an $86m investment to increase capacity for its hummus production.

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