The NC State University Department of Food Science's extension group is dedicated to improving the lives of NC citizens through research, extension education and outreach regarding food, food safety and food processing.

Food Science extension specialists work in many roles to provide appropriate programming to the food industry. Specialists work primarily in the commodity areas of beverage, dairy, meat, produce, and seafood processing. New specialists will work in the areas of food processing engineering, poultry processing, and food entrepreneurial development. The emphasis is on industry development and sustainability of the North Carolina industry.

Clientele services include working with management and technical personnel in the industry, assistance to entrepreneurs and advising regulatory personnel and decision makers. Much of the work is encompassed in training activities such as short courses and workshops, while other effort is in applied research projects and problem-solving. Recent efforts have been expanded to take advantage of the educational opportunities offered by distance education.

Over the last several years there has been an emphasis on food defense efforts within the state and nationwide.

Program Areas