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May 5, 2021

Gifts To Help NCFIL Grow

The NC Food Innovation Lab received two significant gifts through NC State University’s annual Day of Giving campaign on March 24. We extend our thanks to Blue Mountain Flavors and Mother Murphy’s Laboratories for each making a sponsorship level gift to NCFIL to further support the mission of food processing innovation and rural economic development. Support of NCFIL grows our ability…

May 3, 2021

Equipment Spotlight: Bühler Extruder

Exciting opportunities happen every day at the NC Food Innovation Lab. But our most exciting activity of late has been the installation and upcoming training and commissioning of our Bühler BCTM 30/36 D Extruder.  As you may well know, this machine’s functionality is impressive, and it is in high-demand, reliably scheduled out in existing facilities for…

Apr 16, 2021

One-Stop Shop: NCFIL Featured in Business Facilities

The NC Food Innovation Lab was recently featured in “North Carolina: One-Stop Shop For Food Industry” in Business Facilities, a bimonthly magazine specializing in the site selection marketplace. The article originally appeared in the Jan/Feb 2021 issue. Food Processing Industry Favors North Carolina The article asserts the numerous current trends impacting the food processing industry have…

Mar 25, 2021

EDPNC + NCFIL: A Reciprocal Relationship

There’s a new face at the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina (EDPNC), and she’s quickly become a big fan of Dr. Bill Aimutis, executive director at the NC Food Innovation Lab (NCFIL).  “Bill is on my speed dial,” says Mary Lesa Pegg, the new EDPNC Business Recruitment Manager for the Food Processing Industry. “Not only is NCFIL an important…

Mar 19, 2021

Growth in Plant-Based Proteins: Aimutis Featured in Business NC

NCFIL Executive Director Bill Aimutis was recently featured in “Growth Potential” in the current issue of Business North Carolina, a long-running publication sharing the stories of North Carolina’s business community.  Creating a Niche in the Plant-Based Protein Space The article mainly focuses on how the North Carolina Food Innovation Lab (NCFIL) is currently supporting the recent…

Mar 5, 2021

Big Idea Ventures Partners with NC State

In late January, Big Idea Ventures announced the launch of the Generation Food Rural Partners (GFRP) fund and its intent for NC State University to be its first partner. A leader in early-stage alternative protein investing, Big Idea Ventures’ goal is straightforward: they strive to “solve the world’s biggest challenges by supporting the world’s best entrepreneurs.”  Growing Rural Economies…

Mar 4, 2021

NCFIL Executive Director’s Perspective: Jan/Feb 2021

NCFIL Facility + Business Update For the past few months, the NC Food Innovation Lab has been busy. Our Bühler twin-screw extruder arrived in late January, and we’ve worked hard on installing utility connections and constructing a platform to access the feeder. The extruder should be fully operational by late March, and we’ll conduct commissioning runs for…

Feb 26, 2021

Alternative Proteins: Aimutis Featured in Food Engineering

NC Food Innovation Lab Executive Director Bill Aimutis was recently featured in “Alternative Protein Market Growth Shows No Signs of Slowing” in Food Engineering, a popular industry publication supporting the $630 billion food and beverage manufacturing market.  Consumers Drive Alternative Protein Growth The article asserts the continuous growth of the alternative protein market is driven by…

Feb 24, 2021

NCFIL Supports NC Mushroom Farmers

In our recent blog Rethinking Mushrooms, we sang the praises of the humble mushroom, noting the many varieties, the multitude of health benefits, and all the new mushroom products.  The North Carolina Food Innovation Lab has had the fortune of working closely with two North Carolina mushroom farmers in the past year, Haw River Mushrooms and Growing for Good. Let’s learn…

Feb 17, 2021

Rethinking Mushrooms

Why Mushrooms?  Perhaps you’ve seen or heard about the popular 2019 documentary Fantastic Fungi. Or you’ve seen the beautiful display of exotic-looking mushrooms on a recent trip to the local farmers market.  Whether you know it or not, mushroom consumption has grown rapidly in the U.S. and is well-poised for continued growth as consumers become more health-conscious and seek alternatives…