Let’s make the foods of the future

Whether you’re a multinational company or a startup, the NC Food Innovation Lab is here for you from concept to commercialization.

Work with us

Driving plant-based food innovation

NCFIL is a cGMP pilot plant accelerating food research, ideation, product development and commercialization.

NCFIL team members work in the NCFIL facility jarring soup for mass distribution.

Soup Company Partners with NCFIL Following Hurricane Helene

NCFIL to the rescue! When Hurricane Helene impacted its production, Asheville-based 18 Chestnuts used the NCFIL facilities to produce its soups.

Three men stand in the NCFIL test kitchen with a plate of fish nuggets from the Atlantic Fish Co.

Atlantic Fish Co Charts New Territory in Cell-Cultured Seafood

In partnership with the North Carolina Food Innovation Lab, Raleigh-based startup, Atlantic Fish Co, created and tests the world’s first black sea bass product made through cellular agriculture.

NCFIL staff member loads product into the milling and air classifying equipment

Plant-Based Protein Extraction Using Air Classification

NCFIL partnered with Netzsch to add milling and air classifying equipment to its Pilot Plant protein extraction line-up with air classification offering several benefits over wet fractionation.

Explore NCFIL

Take a virtual tour of the facility with Executive Director, Bill Aimutis.

View the Equipment List

Core Competencies

> Research
> Co-Creation
> Food Safety
> Design Strategy
> Food Processing
> Marketing + Communications

Advanced Technologies

> Thermal Processing
> Extraction
> Milling + Blending
> Drying
> Extrusion

Food Categories

> Beverage
> Bakery
> Sauces + Prepared Meals
> Fresh/Frozen Fruits + Vegetables
> Confectionery
> Dairy + Meat Alternatives

Milli Mylk

“Once our formulations were finalized, NCFIL assisted with the co-manufacturing selection process. Their knowledge of equipment needs and production processes was invaluable.”
-Maacha Le Blanc, Founder & CEO

Memore

“If we expand our product line again, we will go back to NCFIL, for sure. From ideation to production, they taught us a lot about manufacturing and using milled, whole food powders.”
-Brad Lepczyk, Co-Founder

Haw River Mushrooms

“NCFIL helped us examine market outlook, recipe refinement and food safety. We were able to convert our mushroom jerky process from a three-day production to a four-hour job.”
-Laura Stewart, Owner