Food4Thought : Pilot Plant for Food Processing

An informative presentation by Caitlin Hillery and Rob Dumas about their work at the Dr. Matthew Highlands Pilot Plant for Food Processing, where Rob is the Food Science Innovation Coordinator and Pilot Plant Facility Manager and Caitlin is a Food Product Development Assistant. The Dr. Matthew Highlands Pilot Plant for Food Processing, on the UMaine campus, acts as a consulting R&D and product development firm for small- to mid-sized Maine food businesses! Many of these businesses lack the infrastructure, resources, or personnel to have their own in-house R&D, and we offer a unique set of skills, offering expertise as an interdisciplinary team (an executive chef and a food scientist) and a suite of specialized food production equipment. We help our clients bring their food ideas to life through many cycles of detail-oriented, meticulous research and experimentation, and continue to meet the needs of various clients interested in developing an expansive variety of food products, from food-waste-saving fruit gummies to kelp pasta to vegan pulled pork!