Since early February, thousands of specialty food products have been arriving at the Food Innovation Center (FIC) at Rutgers University in Bridgeton, NJ, in preparation for the Specialty Food Association’s “specialty outstanding food innovation” sofi™ Awards – the most prestigious competition in specialty foods. Due to the pandemic, the judging has been delayed, leaving a large […]
Food Safety Team at Rutgers Food Innovation Center Offers Virtual Food Safety Training
Specialty food industry manufacturers, retailers, distributors and individuals all across the food supply chain are busier than ever doing their part in response to the spiking demand for groceries due to the impact of COVID-19. In response, the food supply chain has had to make many adjustments to their routines, working locations and staffing schedules. […]
Success Story: Making the Impossible, Possible: How EDA is Helping to Create New Innovations and Train the Food Industry Cluster to Maximize Business Growth
This originally appeared in the U.S. Economic Development Administration June 2019 newsletter. This past 4th of July, Americans had more meatless options for their barbecues – enter the “Impossible Burger.” This vegetable-based product that looks, feels, smells and tastes like a hamburger has attracted more than $700 million in funding from investors. It has currently […]
Food Innovation Center Offers Food Business Basics Workshop and Training Session for Food Entrepreneurs
The Food Innovation Center at Rutgers is having a Food Business Basics Workshop and Training Session for early stage entrepreneurs on Monday, September 9 from 9:00am-5:00pm at the Rutgers EcoComplex. Food Business Basics is a unique opportunity for food entrepreneurs to learn critical aspects of entering or growing their business in the prepared food and […]
Taste testing: The FIC deepens partnerships with hosts of the Fancy Food Show
Stories from the Rutgers Food Innovation Center Six years ago, David Fullner and Daniel Auld had their hands full with a son born eight weeks premature. A focus on his diet to keep him healthy inspired them to blend their own baby food, with the added benefit of introducing him to real, not-too-sweet flavors to […]
Pizza, but portable: Cones just work better than sloppy, floppy slices
Pizza in a cone is a familiar treat in Italy, but like nothing Eric Ciancaglini had ever seen before. The basic components of it were just like the pizza back home in New Jersey — melty cheese, flavorful sauce — but the shape was portable, so much more appropriate for on-the-go grub than a floppy […]
How the Impossible Burger got its remarkable start at Rutgers
Food for thought. The next time you’re grabbing a bite at any of the 150-plus restaurants in New Jersey alone that serve the meatless Impossible Burger, know that this disruptive delicacy came to life at Rutgers. Impossible Foods, the company responsible for this formulated faux-meat foodstuff, has generated plenty of hype. Celebrities including Serena Williams, Bill […]
Food and Beverage Manufacturers of All Sizes Find Support and Solutions at the Rutgers Food Innovation Center
For nearly two decades, entrepreneurs developing plant-based meat alternatives, gluten-free breads, functional beverages and many ethnic specialties have leveraged resources at the Rutgers Food Innovation Center to grow their businesses. Startups considering a move to the Rutgers Food Innovation Center can now apply for rent support through the New Jersey Economic Development Authority’s (NJEDA’s) NJ Ignite Program. […]
Gnocchi, Reimagined: Wooller Wants Sexy Things to Happen on the Pasta Shelf
Stories from the Rutgers Food Innovation Center Sure, the package says “Product of Italy” but Nocca gnocchi is definitely an American product. CEO Nicholas Wooller spent a decade in the Italian packaged goods industry, exporting products to be rebranded in private label in American grocers. Nocca isn’t one of those rebranded products. “The idea of […]
A Little Clarity: Health Woes Draw an IT Professional Back to Historical Family Food Biz
Stories from the Rutgers Food Innovation Center Ghee, or clarified butter, has been sold in India for thousands of years. The Agarwal family has been selling it for 130 of those years out of a small shop in the northern Indian town of Hisar, and for the last 10 years, from a business based at […]
