The%20Food%20Processing%20Center

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The Food Processing Center
Rolando A. Flores, Ph.D. Director rflores2_at_unl.edu
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Integration of Services toSupport the Food
Industry

• Science, technology, teaching, outreach and
  research support
• Department of Food Science and Technology
• Delivery of services to the food industry
• The Food Processing Center

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Mission Statement
To advance the value-added food manufacturing
industry by partnering on technical and business
development from idea through ongoing market
support.
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Goals

• Stimulate the development of new food processing
  industries in Nebraska.
• Aid existing food manufacturers in becoming more
  efficient, productive and diverse.
• Assist new, as well as existing food processing
  industries by offering educational programs for
  their management, staff and employees.

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The Food Processing Center services
Assistance with Funding Opportunities Business
Start-Up Food Entrepreneur Assistance
Program Labor Force Development
Training Business Development Market Research
Laboratory Testing Services Process Development
and Scale-up Process Engineering Dairy
Processing Product Development Nutritional
Labeling Retail Services Dairy Store Economic
Outreach
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Laboratory and Testing Services

• Pathogen Testing
• determine if foodborne pathogens are present in
  ingredients or finished products
• mandated by government agencies such as the USDA
• for company quality assurance requirements and
  validation of interventions
• General Microbiology
• total bacterial counts, total coliform counts,
  and total yeast/mold counts
• profiles the overall microbiological load of an
  ingredient or finished product
• done to maintain quality assurance standards

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Laboratory and Testing Services

• Environmental Testing
• determine the microbiological cleanliness of a
  food processing environment which can directly
  affect the quality and safety of the finished
  product
• determine where a pathogen may be surviving in a
  facility.
• Mycotoxin Analysis
• Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by
  molds that can be harmful to both animals and
  humans. Detection of significant levels of these
  is critical (and required) in certain commodities
  destined for feed animals or human consumption.

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Laboratory and Testing Services

• Microarray Laboratory - This facility provides a
  quality core service to the research community in
  UNL and the surrounding area. The Lab operates
  spotted platforms for both DNA and protein
  microarrays. The facility has all of the
  necessary instruments for complete array
  experiments, from array fabrication to primary
  data analysis. In addition to microarray
  capabilities, the facility also has substantial
  experience with high-throughput genotyping (e.g.
  PFGE, RFLP, AFLP, MLST, OBGS) and microbial
  identification using 16 or 23S rDNA technology.

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Process Development and Scale Up

• Process Development
• new product development
• processing conditions and controls refinement.
• development of product and process
  specifications.
• Scale-Up
• process larger batches of products to determine
  equipment needs
• prepare samples for meetings, trade shows,
  investor demonstrations
• determine process and product feasibility,
  problems and concerns before full scale production

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Process Development and Scale Up

• Ingredient Functionality and Substitution
• assist existing companies in determining
  alternative sources of ingredients
• assist ingredient companies and distributors in
  ingredient application and comparison
• Process Research
• Design experimental research and analyze
  commodity and specialty foods research projects
  with the goal of achieving high value
  breakthroughs.

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Outreach and Workshops

• Organic Food Processing
• Better Process Control School
• Exporting Food Products
• Molds and Mycotoxins in Foods
• Ingredients and Ingredient Functionality
• Applied Extrusion
• Cheese Making/ Dairy Products
• Spices

• Food Product Development
• Quality Assurance / Quality
• Control
• Packaging Technologies
• Proteins in Foods
• Food Safety / Microbiology
• Dehydration of Food
• Jams Jellies
• Manufacturing
• Food Plant Sanitation
• HACCP for Food Processors

Workshop currently being developed
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Product Development Nutritional Labeling

• Formulation, Concept and Prototype Development
• assist entrepreneurial, new, and existing
  companies in developing new products or refining
  prototype formulations
• develop product and process specifications
• Line Extensions and Quality Improvements
• help new and existing companies develop
  additional product lines, develop new improved
  versions of their products, often with increased
  health considerations and improved nutritional
  claims.

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Product Development Nutritional Labeling

• Labeling Assistance
• assist new and existing companies by using
  Genesis database program or providing analysis
  of products, then compiling data into nutritional
  facts panels and ingredient statements
• provide additional information on general
  labeling requirements
• Ingredient Functionality and Substitution
• assist existing companies in determining
  alternative sources of ingredients
• assist ingredient companies and distributors in
  ingredient application and comparison

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Economic Outreach

• New Food Business Recruitment
• help communities and economic developers in
  Nebraska with recruiting new food businesses by
  conducting building evaluations for food
  processing plants and providing access to
  technical assistance.
• Food Business Retention
• helping communities and economic developers in
  Nebraska by providing technical assistance to
  existing food manufacturers and providing
  workshops and seminars for community events.

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Labor Force Development

• Helping new and existing companies train their
  work force to meet their current and future
  operational and management labor needs

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Assistance in Funding Opportunities

• Identifying Viable Grant Opportunities Helping
  companies and individuals identify the
  appropriate federal and state grants to meet
  their needs and ascertain their eligibility
• Grant Writing Assistance Helping companies and
  individuals compile and write winning grant
  applications by interpreting RFPs (Request For
  Proposals), developing budgets and verifying
  matching requirements, and reviewing finalized
  application for completeness

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Market Research

• Problem Definition Help new and existing
  companies identify and define the research issues
  critical to their business goals and objectives
• Survey Research Design, administer and analyze
  survey research projects
• Competitive Analyses Help new and existing
  companies identify market opportunities and
  position their products most effectively by
  increasing their understanding of the competitive
  landscape
• Trend Analyses Help new and existing companies
  identify market opportunities by collecting,
  analyzing and disseminating social, regulatory,
  and food industry trends

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Business Start-UpFood Entrepreneur Assistance
Program

• From Recipe to Reality Seminar One-day seminar
  designed to provide seminar attendees the
  opportunity to determine if starting a food
  processing business is what they want to do with
  their resources.
• From Product to Profit Confidential,
  individualized assistance through all the steps
  of starting a business and introducing a
  product(s). Helps food entrepreneurs
  commercialize their business concept into an
  operating enterprise.
• Technical Services product development,
  labeling assistance, contract manufacturer
  search, business issues, price structure,
  promotional tools

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Business DevelopmentLocal Foods Initiatives

• Market research
• Initiative for Future Agricultural and Food
  Systems
• Consumer awareness and interest in locally
  produced foods
• Chefs interest and challenges in purchasing
  local foods
• Federal State marketing Improvement grants
• Local food system marketing and distribution
  models
• Launching local food initiatives
• Nebraska Food Cooperative (NFC)
• Good, Fresh, Local The Nebraska Sustainable Food
  Project (GFL)

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Business DevelopmentLocal Foods Initiatives

• Creating new food producing enterprises
• Food Entrepreneur Assistance Program
• Value-added Producer grants (federal)
• Value-added Agriculture grants (state)
• Initiated joint application between GFL
  Nebraska Sustainable Agriculture Society (NSAS)
• Initiated joint application between NFC and BFBL
• Promoting local food production and consumption
• Advisory board of Buy Fresh, Buy Local campaign

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UNL Dining ServicesLocal Foods Initiatives

• Good, Fresh, Local The Nebraska Sustainable Food
  Project
• Facilitated the development of the project by
  identifying growers, collaborating on promotional
  materials, and providing input on project goals
• Led a USDA-funded trip for a group of dining
  services employees to Yale University to see an
  existing local foods program in action
• Participated in farm tours for UNL Dining
  Services Staff
• Facilitates relationship with the Nebraska Food
  Cooperative (NFC)
• GFL is a member of NFC and purchases through NFC
• UNL Dining Services and NFC have collaborated on
  catering events
• Collaborates on project expansion
• Additional Dining Halls
• On-campus garden supplying hard-to-source
  products
• Signature GFL product (granola)

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Thank you
Questions?http//fpc.unl.edu