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Jan 18, 2023

Milli Mylk Offers Convenience and Nutrition 

When Maacha Le Blanc contacted the North Carolina Food Innovation Lab (NCFIL), she was determined to create the very best dairy alternative. She wanted to give people the ability to conveniently make fresh, delicious, and nutritious plant-based dairy alternatives. Working with Bill Aimutis, Executive Director of NCFIL, and his team of food scientists, Le Blanc and…

Jan 6, 2023

Extrusion Short Course: NCFIL + Bühler Continue Momentum

After the sold-out 2022 Twin Screw Extrusion short course left attendees wanting more, the North Carolina Food Innovation Lab (NCFIL) is teaming up again with Bühler Group to conduct another short course on food extrusion, this time focusing on extrusion of plant-based protein. From January 30-February 2, 2023, instructors from NC State and Bühler will run this hands-on…

Dec 7, 2022

Candace Smith Capitalizes on Flair for Research

A high school project revealed Candace Smith’s aptitude for research, paving the way for a career in biotechnology. For the last two years, Smith has been working as a Research Technician at the North Carolina Food Innovation Lab (NCFIL).  Smith credits her colleagues for helping her navigate the plant-based space. “They are incredible,” she says.…

Nov 23, 2022

Chloe Brubaker: Living the Dream

While interning with the North Carolina Food Innovation Lab (NCFIL) last fall, Ohio-native Chloe Brubaker quickly realized it was a place she hoped to return to as a full-time employee. As of October 3, that wish became reality when she joined the team as its newest Food Scientist.  “It really has been a dream come…

Nov 9, 2022

Nowadays Sees Success in the Plant-Based Meat Market

“I saw another food world coming to life, much more innovative and aligned with how I was personally approaching food: food that doesn’t just feed people but nourishes them as well,” says Dominik Grabinski, co-founder and CTO of Nowadays, a plant-based meat start-up that is building a manufacturing platform for healthier, tastier alternative proteins that can be…

Nov 4, 2022

Aimutis Discusses Future of Plant-Based Innovation on PBH Podcast

Bill Aimutis, Executive Director of the NC Food Innovation Lab (NCFIL), recently joined Celia Homyak, Co-Director of the Alt. Meat Lab at UC Berkeley, as a guest of The Plantbased Business Hour podcast. The pair answered the question, “What Innovations Are Taking Place at the World’s Best Food Lab?”  Plant-Based Innovation Is Alive and Well Amid recent…

Oct 10, 2022

A ‘Yes’ Person: Lisa Sand Joins NCFIL as Senior Food Scientist

“I’m thrilled to be working with this team. We’re really building something here,” says Lisa Sand, new Senior Food Scientist at the North Carolina Food Innovation Lab (NCFIL). Joining the team in June, Sand works mainly with benchtop product development.  One of the things she loves about this work is “looking at innovative uses of plant-based materials…

Sep 30, 2022

NCFIL Collaborator Featured in Forbes: Milli Mylk

Milli Mylk, a long-time client of the NC Food Innovation Lab (NCFIL), was recently featured in the Forbes’ article Maacha Le Blanc Raised $5 Million For The First Freeze Dried Milk Milli Mylk. Nutritious and Convenient   Maacha Le Blanc has achieved an impressive milestone, raising $5 million for her business Milli Mylk. Described as sitting at the “intersection…

Sep 21, 2022

NCFIL + N.C. PSI Partnership Creates Synergy in Plant-Based Food Industry

Building upon their previous professional relationship, Bill Aimutis and Adrian Percy see tremendous value in bringing together the best minds and expertise in the plant-based food industry to better agriculture for North Carolina and the global population. As Executive Director of the North Carolina Food Innovation Lab (NCFIL), Aimutis oversees the cGMP pilot plant accelerating plant-based food research, ideation, development and…

Aug 24, 2022

Memore Supports Brain Health

Brad and Erika Lepczyk, founders of Memore, wanted to create something to nourish the brain. Having witnessed the effects of dementia firsthand, they were inspired to embark on an entrepreneurial journey into the food industry. An acquaintance from NC State recommended reaching out to the North Carolina Food Innovation Lab (NCFIL) to get started. They connected…