UNL Food Processing Center

About Us

The Food Processing Center at the University of Nebraska– Lincoln was established in 1983, designed to meet the needs of an array of food industry clients including manufacturers, entrepreneurs, suppliers, distributors, associations, retailers, and food service providers. Under the Food Science and Technology department, the FPC also provides a unique experiential learning environment for the next generation.

Images

UNL FPC logo

Located in the Food Innovation Center at Nebraska Innovation Campus

Producing UNL Dairy Store Ice Cream

High-Pressure Processing (HPP)

High-Pressure Processing (HPP) and Validation testing

Extrusion Pilot Plant Services and Educational Workshops

Large Variety of Pilot Plant Capabilities including Spray Drying, Freeze Drying, Retort

Product Development and Process Scale-up Services

Microbiological Testing Services

Sensory Testing services

Analytical Chemistry Services Generating Nutritional Panels

Suite Spot Office Spaces Avaliable - come work with us for discounted services and quick access to University expertise!

Rep/Contact Info

View Personal Bio

Ellie Watts

Ellie is the Director of the Food Processing Center at UNL. Raised on a Nebraska farm, her passion was ignited raising crops & livestock. This hands-on work instilled an appreciation for farm to table, earning a B.S. in Food Science & Tech from UNL and an A.A.S. from SCC. Her career includes roles at Conagra Brands, where she was Director of R&D, Manager of R&D, & Sr. Food Scientist. Her work spanned snacks, baked goods, frozen meals, dairy, shelf-stable soups, pie filling, tomatoes, pickles, and syrups. She also held positions at TreeHouse Foods as R&D Manager, & Rembrandt Foods as New Product Development Manager. At UNL, Ellie leads the FPC offering technical services catering to manufacturers, entrepreneurs, suppliers, distributors, associations, retailers, & food service. It's equipped to work with products in every major food group, including grains & oilseeds, fruits, vegetables, dairy products, meat, and poultry.