Food Innovation Center, Downtown Portland

Summary

The Food Innovation Center (FIC) in Portland, Oregon, is a pivotal resource for the food and beverage industry, offering cutting-edge facilities and expertise since 1999. A collaboration between Oregon State University and the Oregon Department of Agriculture, the FIC supports businesses in product development, food safety, and sensory testing. Their comprehensive services include focus groups, market testing, and custom consulting, addressing everything from ingredient sourcing to scaling production. The center is internationally renowned for driving innovation, helping businesses turn new ideas into successful, marketable products while advancing food science and safety.

Takeaways

• 😀 The Food Innovation Center (FIC) is a key resource for the food and beverage industry, supporting the development of new ideas into viable businesses and products.
• 😀 FIC, founded in 1999, is a joint collaboration between Oregon State University and the Oregon Department of Agriculture.
• 😀 Located in downtown Portland’s Pearl District, the FIC spans 33,000 square feet and includes state-of-the-art facilities for various food innovation needs.
• 😀 The FIC is known for pioneering new products and advancing consumer understanding of food and food safety.
• 😀 FIC's facilities include a sensory lab, research kitchen, innovation lab, focus group room, customizable processing incubator, and analytical biosafety labs.
• 😀 The FIC provides a wide range of services, including product development, sensory testing, marketing, food safety, regulatory guidance, and more.
• 😀 The center offers tailored support to businesses for scalable projects by integrating food science, culinary expertise, and food safety.
• 😀 FIC’s sensory and consumer testing services provide real-time insights into market demands through focus groups, acceptance tests, and statistical analysis.
• 😀 The FIC also offers specialized training on food safety standards under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), including expertise in food microbiology and toxicology.
• 😀 The center conducts research on contamination mitigation and food safety issues throughout the supply chain, with a focus on controlling pathogens like listeria.
• 😀 The FIC helps clients with shelf life testing and product preservation, focusing on maintaining flavor, texture, and color, and supports the development of innovative food products.

Q & A

What is the Food Innovation Center (FIC)?

The Food Innovation Center (FIC) is a valuable resource for the food and beverage industry, helping to turn new ideas into viable businesses and products. It is a joint collaboration between Oregon State University and the Oregon Department of Agriculture.

When was the FIC founded and where is it located?

The FIC was founded in 1999 and is located in the Pearl District of downtown Portland, Oregon.

What are some key facilities and labs at the FIC?

The FIC houses a sensory lab, a research kitchen, an innovation lab, a focus group room with private viewing and streaming, a customizable processing incubator, and analytical biosafety labs.

What types of businesses does the FIC support?

The FIC supports local, regional, and national businesses by offering a variety of services, including product and process development, sensory consumer testing, food safety, and regulatory guidance.

How does the FIC approach product development?

The FIC integrates food science, culinary expertise, and food safety with a client-oriented, hands-on approach to product development, helping businesses solve problems and scale up production.

What is the role of sensory and consumer testing at the FIC?

The FIC provides unbiased third-party sensory and consumer testing programs, helping businesses gather real-time insights into consumer preferences, using techniques like focus groups, acceptance tests, and statistical analysis.

What types of food safety training does the FIC offer?

The FIC offers training and resources related to food safety standards under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FISMA), including food microbiology, toxicology, GMPs, and good agricultural practices.

How does the FIC contribute to food safety research?

The FIC conducts specialized research projects to investigate and mitigate food safety issues, particularly focusing on pathogens like Listeria and strategies for monitoring and controlling these pathogens in the food industry.

What is the significance of shelf life testing at the FIC?

Shelf life testing at the FIC helps businesses understand the quality, longevity, and processing of their products, ensuring that flavor, texture, and color are preserved for consumers.

How does the FIC help businesses scale up their production?

The FIC offers consultation on scaling up production, providing expertise in product formulation, ingredient sourcing, and process optimization to help businesses move from small-scale prototypes to large-scale manufacturing.