Spokesperson Anna Phipps told FoodProductionDaily.com that the Asia Food Technology Centre in Bangkok is the first foray of its kind for the company's food department.

"The company is looking specifically to target local Asian manufacturers, as well as foreign or global firms operating in the area," she said.

The company hopes the new centre will allow food manufacturers to explore a range of food preservations solutions, designed to protect the quality and freshness of foods.

Technologies designed by Air Products include Freshline Continuous Sauce Chiller, a mechanism to cool down mayonnaise, sauces and pastes. The company also created the Freshline Liquid Nitrogen Injection System (LIN-IS), a cooling system that uses liquid nitrogen to rapidly chill and freeze foods.

The new centre will also feature a kitchen - to create real-life food situations - a cold storage room, and testing laboratories, Phipps added.

"Our investment in the Asia Food Technology Centre underscores Air Products' commitment to Asia and the food processing market," said Ivo Bols, vice president of the company's merchant gases division. "Putting our focus where the market is, the centre enables us to respond more quickly to the changing needs of our food customers."

According to the US commercial service (USCS), Thailand is indeed a good country for food manufacturers to invest in.

The total food processing and packaging market was worth $695m in 2005, and has experienced annual compound growth rates of 20 per cent every year since, the USCS said.

What's more, there are no restrictions imposed by Thai government on food processing and packaging equipment, and import duties are only 5 per cent.

According to the USCS, the most profitable areas for growth in Thai food production are: Packaging machinery and supplies, food processing equipment, heating machinery, fruit and vegetable processing equipment, fruit juice machinery, and snack food and confectionery technology.