“Vegetables are the answers to all the world’s problems.”

So says NC Food Innovation Lab’s latest recruit, Research Associate Elise Packer. 

As a young girl growing up in Utah, Packer dreamed of feeding the world vegetables. Considering she turned down other job offers to land her “dream job” at NCFIL, it looks like she can now carry out her childhood wish. 

As the food scientist building the bridge between NCFIL and the Bezos Center for Sustainable Protein at NC State, Packer calls upon personal goals and a background in sustainability to guide her in this new role. 

From Europe to NCFIL  

Packer is not new to NCFIL. 

Executive Director Bill Aimutis welcomed her as an intern for six months in 2024, to support her completion of a master’s in sustainable food systems from a dual-degree European program with Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore and ISARA Agro School for Life. 

Her NCFIL internship experience inspired Packer as she worked on a variety of alternative food products and partnered with female mentors. Plus, NCFIL was a symbiotic fit for her thesis, which focused on the sustainability of stainless steel in the food industry. 

Her academic expertise will be put to good use as she partners with the Bezos Center in her NCFIL role. 

NCFIL + Bezos Center Link 

As a research associate, Packer’s responsibilities include conducting research, data collection, experimentation and report writing. 

“Currently, I am training on NCFIL equipment, like the extruder, air classifier and spray dryer, which will be essential to my Bezos Center work,” Packer says. “I am also working on confectionery, health foods, gummies, bars and freeze-dried and plant-based foods for NCFIL.” 

For example, she’s involved with the development of a less processed, lower sugar nutritional bar, using the Bühler SnackFix™ and working with local agricultural by-products, like sweetpotatoes.

For her work affiliated with the Bezos Center, Packer is focused on plant-based meat alternatives, specifically looking at the product’s functional properties, protein functionality, textural analysis as well as lab scale and pilot scale production.

“Considering sustainability, I research a product’s life cycle assessment (LCA), its technoeconomic analysis (TEA) and its social LCA,” she says. 

The LCA focuses on the environmental effects, like energy and water consumption, of a product’s life cycle while the social LCA examines how product sourcing or production impacts people, explains Packer. The TEA considers the costs and benefits of producing the product. 

Testing Alternative Meats

For the Bezos Center, Packer analyzes plant-based meat alternatives currently on the market, like a plant-based chicken nugget one could find in the grocery store. 

“I look at the different functional properties of the nugget, testing its nutritional content, texture, cooking quality and freeze-thaw stability” she says. “Following this research, I draft reports and research publications on the findings, which will be shared with the Bezos Center.” 

Packer accomplishes this by testing an established alternative meat product using NCFIL equipment. The product is cooked, processed, put in tubes and then tested for nutritional content. Packer then navigates the complexities of allergens, consumer acceptance, safety and sourcing of the product. 

Perks of the Job 

When asked about her favorite aspects of her new job, Packer has much to say. 

“In my new role, I’ve stepped into more of a project lead on my own projects,” she says while simultaneously sharing gratitude for the mentorship of her NCFIL team members, noting specifically the support of new NCFIL Director Julie Mann. 

Packer also enjoys the challenges of her work as she explores NCFIL’s impressive equipment lineup. 

“The equipment can be scary sometimes,” Packer quips. “That extruder is no small microwave – it’s a giant machine!” With that said, learning the engineering and scientific principles behind the equipment has accelerated her training. 

Packer is also a big fan of the variety of her work. Prior to graduate school, her job experience had her focused on one lane, like beverages or supplements. At NCFIL, she gets “a little bit of everything.”